The High Price of Society
by Vixen1
Summary: Acting on stage is one thing. But when the Messiah of Light is paired together with the Perfect Soldier for a school project, will he find out how far her acting truely goes? Please R&R! Warning: Very Dark, Adult Themes, Language. Completed
1. Street Smarts

The High Price of Society

The High Price of Society

- THIS IS THE REVISED VERSION

So… I've done fantasy, myths, vamps, what haven't I done? I'm trying to take a new approach here, but it may get strange. Once again, it's HY x MOON. Take it easy with me and be gentle, huh? All right then:

*I DO NOT BELIEVE IN DISCLAIMERS 

* DARK WITH ADULT THEMES WEAVED INTO THE STORY LINE. SUGGESTION OF RAPE, SUICIDE, AND ABUSE, SO BE WARNED! *

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Prologue: Street Smarts

*It was a cool night; one with heavy fog and little light out on the black streets. Through the heavy mist, faint headlights and noisy cars speed throughout the small narrow roads. The night was young, and still it seemed as if it had lasted an eternity. And, in the midst of it all, a small dark form huddled in the back corner of an ally, trying desperately to keep warm.

'I'm going to end up as an icicle if I don't get home soon.' She thought to herself. Stepping from behind the dumpsters, she made a run for the nearest street sign and stopped under the tepid light above the written signs. As she stood there reading the weather worn signs, a car pulled up along side the street. She watched as a window was rolled down to reveal an elegant set up:leather seats, heater on full blast, and a new car smell.

"Hey baby. How much for a full one night stand?" Asked the mysterious driver in a deep voice.

"Sir, may I please see you're license and registration? I'm Officer K of the SFPD."

"Officer? Uh, never mind." She watched as he quickly pulled out of his temporary parking space and as soon as he gunned his engines, began laughing hysterically. Every time, every time! One of these days she was going to crack before she got out her lines, and then she would be in trouble. 'Officer K indeed.' She thought to herself. ' Serves him right for thinking I'm some easy one night kind of girl. I love it when they freak out like that! I'll have to remember this drop line for the next time some creep tries to pick me up.' Still chuckling slightly, she once again turned her attention to the street signs and tried to decipher her way home. 

As she walked through the sleet that had begun to fall sometime in the last ten minutes, she slowed her pace considerably. She was already on her own street, and the longer she took to get home the better. But she didn't want to get sick by being outside in the cold for too long. But she didn't want to go home either. Well, either way, it was too late now. Here she was, standing in front of her apartment building. Climbing the stoop steps, she opened the door and heard a loud crash from one of the rooms. In the background, she heard cats hissing at each other as they instigated a cat fight, dogs barking violently at each other, loud sirens of police and fire trucks, and over the top of it all, loud screaming.

"I should have left you where I found you in that dump you little she-devil!"

"Threats, threats, threats! That's all you ever do! Why don't you work for a change?"

"Why don't you? You wanted to go back to work, remember? Time to pay up you little whore!"

"Bastard! Get the hell out!"

"No, I think you should! I pay the rent around these parts!"

"I earn the money! And you waste it all on your stupid drinks at the bar across town!" Another loud crash was heard, and Serena stopped outside the apartment door. Did she really want to go in? The answer was no.

Her father was probably drunk out of his mind, and her mother was probably either high or standing and throwing dishes at him while smoking a cigarette. Yes. This was what she had hurried home for. This was much better than being out in the quiet, peaceful fog and sleet. Slumping down outside of the door, Serena Usagi Tsukino closed her weary eyes and relaxed her tense shoulders. If she was going to sleep on the floor tonight, she would have to be very relaxed so that she didn't get knots in her neck or shoulders. 

As her eyes fluttered closed and her breathing evened out, the door she had been leaning against for support suddenly gave way. She tumbled back onto a pair of stained dark brown leather hiking boots. Looking up she saw her father, scowling and fuming mad at her.

"And where have you been this late at night? Sleeping around with those damned teachers of yours? Is that how you get your good grades little miss smart alic? Get your ass in here, now!" Her father rumbled loudly. Without waiting for her to respond, he grabbed her long honey colored blonde hair and dragged her through the door and shut it hard behind him.

Throwing her to the floor, he sneered and pulled at her blue t-shirt, bringing her closer to him. Serena could smell the alcohol on his breath and could see his dilated eyes. It wouldn't be long before he passed out. When he did, she could drag him to his and her mother's bedroom and put him to sleep. Until then, she just had to ride it out.

"Where've you been girl?" He slurred.

"At my friend Lita's papa." She answered as sweetly as possible. She had only one goal: keep him happy and do not let him get mad at her.

"Doing what?"

"Homework papa." Things were not looking up. He was usually passed out by now.

"Homework? Are you failing again you rotten little bleeder?"

"No papa, I'm getting straight A's." She said.

"A's? How? You're so stupid there's no way you could actually be learning anything. Are you sleeping with your teacher?"

"No papa. My teacher is a woman, how could I sleep with her?"

" Brat! Don't talk back to your father! I made you, I clothed you, I fed you and sheltered you. Damnit, I deserve some respect!" He backhanded her left cheek and pushed her to the floor hard. While she brought her hands to her stinging cheek, he kicked her in the stomach, once, twice, three times, then missed and kicked her in the face. With her nose bleeding and a blackish purple bruise forming on her left cheek, Serena watched as her father collapsed at her feet. Just then, her mother walked in.

"Did he pass out?"

"Yes mama."

"Good. Took that jerk long enough. And where have you been?"

"At Lita's mama." Serena repeated for her other parent, tears welling up in her eyes from the pain.

"At Lita's? I need you here at home you little twit! You know I can't do everything! You need to do the laundry, wash the dishes, make the beds, and make dinner. I'm not your darn slave!"

"I'm sorry mama. I know I have to do some chores, but I thought I would do them tonight when I got home."

"Brat! Don't talk back to me!" She too, slapped Serena hard, only this time it landed smack across her right cheek. She watched as her mother drew her hand back quickly, gasped, then grabbed her coat and ran out the door. 'Probably needs another high.' Serena thought to herself. Sighing, she turned back to her father, who was still laying on the floor, out cold and snoring heavily.

After she had dragged her father to his bedroom and placed him on the bed, she entered her room and lay down across her bed staring at the night sky. How was she ever going to get away with this tomorrow at school? *


	2. New Kids on the Block

Chapter One: New Kids on the Block

Chapter One: New Kids on the Block

* Was the first day supposed to be the worst? He had never been able to figure it out. He and his friends sat in desks in the back of the classroom and watched as the regular students filed in, one after another. One by one, he sized them up, carefully picking out those who would cause problems and those who would stay out of the way. What did it even matter anymore. It wasn't like this was a mission. It was just a constructive waste of time. The bell rang, and just as the blood-curdling screech stopped, a girl huffed and puffed her way into the classroom. He couldn't see her face because of the heavy powder blue hood pulled up over her head, but for some reason, he kept staring. When she took the seat right in front of him, he stopped straining his eyes and, keeping his ever-present emotional mask, he closed his eyes and pretended to lose interest in the world around him.

That, did not, however, mean that Hiiro Yui stopped paying attention. If anything, he was more alert than ever. Out of slits in the bottom of his eyes, he watched the teacher, Ms. Haruna, stack, restack and shuffle her papers as she cleared her throat and got ready for the morning lesson. 

"Students, today we have five new additions to our class. I would like to all give a warm welcome to them. Boys, please come up here and say your name, for the benefit of the rest of your class." The tall red headed teacher beckoned them forward and Hiiro was the last in the line of his friends to stand and walk to the front of the room. 

"Hello. My name is Quatre Raberba Winner. It's nice to meet you all." Serena just stared at the new boys. The one who had just introduced himself was cute, innocent, but cute. His blonde hair was combed and neatly placed upon his head and warm sky blue eyes quickly scanned the crowd to see what he was in for for the rest of the year.

"I'm Maxwell, Duo Maxwell! There is an ice cream store around, right?" Serena cracked a large grin at this one. He had a goofy sense of humor, but it fit him. He had a long brown braid hanging and swinging behind his back, and his violet eyes shone with laughter and happiness. Just like Quatre, he scanned the room, searching for a sign of what the rest of the school year would be like for him.

"The name's Trowa Barton." Was what the next one said. Serena had to give him a second glance. He had said his name with only slight emotion. Through his reddish brown hair and long bangs, she could only see one dark forest green eye, but it was enough to let her know that this was the serious one in the group.

"I'm Chang Wufei." Came the next quick introduction. He had almost snapped his name in half the way he said it so quickly with so much force. Serena passed the tone off as annoyance at the braided boy, she had seen him taunting Wufei earlier. Looking him over, she discovered Wufei had dark features placed on light skin. Black eyes and black hair pulled into a tight low ponytail, plus a heavy dark expression that showed he had seen much in his few years.

"Hiiro Yui." Was all the last of the five boys said. Serena almost gasped when she saw him. It wasn't his messy chocolate brown hair, or his piercing prussian blues that stole her breath away, however. It was the fact that his eyes, his face, his entire soul held nothing. No emotion what so ever flashed over his young face, he seemed void of all feeling and reaction. She brushed it aside, though, when his eyes met hers. It was strange. Not, uncomfortable, but unnerving all at the same time. Serena struggled to find a name, any name, for the emotion she was feeling, but for some strange reason, her extensive vocabulary had vacated her mind within mere seconds of eye contact.

As Hiiro surveyed the classroom form the teacher's perspective, he heard his friends each introducing themselves. As they said their names aloud to the class, Hiiro's eyesfell on the petit girl that had nearly escaped being late this morning. With her hood still up, all he could see were her azure blue eyes that had caught a glint of the light, highlighting them, making them seem almost ghostly. When it was his turn to introduce himself, he brushed it aside, quickly saying his own name, then going back to watching the girl, who, this time, was watching him as well. 

His eyes met hers and a whirlwind of fire melted every nerve ending in his functioning brain. Her eyes held him steady and in a seep trance until he was lightly nudged by Wufei , who had just been pushed by Duo. It was a good thing, too. If Wufei hadn't knocked into him, he never would have been able to tear his eyes away from hers.Heading back to his seat behind her, the teacher began to speak again.

"Well now that we've all finished with that, please take out your history notes, and I'll come around and check to see that you've done them. And, oh, Serena, may I please see you after class?" Hiiro watched as the girl in front of him nodded. So that was her name. Serena. Hmm. 

A mad scramble of students quickly raised their hands. "Yes, Jim, what?" Asked the teacher. Hiiro could practically see her head begin to pound as she rubbed her temples.

"Ms. Haruna, that homework you gave us last night was way too much. None of us could do it." Answered a big boy in the back row.

" None of you?" She sighed. This whole class was trying. "Very well. Open to page thirty and we'll read it allowed in class." Hiiro grunted mentally as he whipped out the History book he had purchased only the day before. This was going to be an extremely easy year.

)(

"Ms. H., you wanted to see me?" Serena asked as she approached the teacher's desk, four pages of binder paper covered in writing front and back. She smiled brightly at the five new boys who stood by it as well.

" Yes. I wanted you to show the new boys around, and I didn't think you would mind, seeing as how you usually volunteer for the job any way…"

"Of course, I'd love to show them around Ms. H.!" Serena beamed at her teacher from underneath her warm hood. It had been raining extremely hard outside that morning, and her whole face was still cold. That and, she had some heavy make-up on today to cover up her bruises, and unless she had to, she really didn't feel like explaining the excess amount.

"Oh, and Ms. H.?"

"Yes, Serena?" Asked the teacher darkly. The whole class had been pure chaos, and by now she was in the worst mood possible.

"I did the history homework last night, so if you wanted to look at it, here it is. Or I could just keep it and…"

"Serena! Thank you!" The teacher's head suddenly shot up and her arms encircled the small girl. "You just made my day! Of course I'll look at it!" She cried as she whipped the papers from her student's small icy hands. Flipping through the pages, her smile actually got larger, if that was even possible. "Serena! This is exemplary work! No wonder you're acing every class. Where do you find the time? Thank you so much. Now, why don't you show the new boys around?"

"Of course Ms. H. Come on guys, I'll show you where everything is. Just follow me!" She giggled slightly.

)(

As the group of six walked down the nearly deserted hallway, Serena stopped at a locker and began to unpack and repack her books. 

"Well, first off, I think you probably already guessed, but I'm Serena."

"Nice to meet you babe." Said Duo. 

"Not 'babe'.Serena. Or Sere. Whichever is cool with me. Just not babe." She slightly giggled at his antics. 

"Well, what's you're last name then, Sere?" Duo hounded her.

" Tsukino. Serena Usagi Tsukino. It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I remember your names from class. Duo, Quatre, Trowa, Wufei, and Hiiro, right?" She asked as she pointed to each of the boys as she said their name.

"That's right Serena. Thank you for taking the time to show us around. Are you sure we're not interrupting any of your classes?" Asked Quatre with a broad grin.

"Yeah, don't worry, I have a free now. Well, usually I go work out, but I always make an exception when there's new students around."

"Onna, you work out?" Wufei asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Not onna.Serena, and yeah, I do. I have to. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to keep up with the rest of the squad."

"Squad?" Spat Wufei.

"Yeah." Serena said, beaming. She loved the squad. All of her friends were on it, and she always found the physical push to be exhilarating. Oh, and she was the captain. She had to love it; it was part of the job description.

"Onna, you are weak. I have no words for the weak." Wufei gave her an evil eye, the turned and leaned against the lockers with his eyes closed and arms crossed in front of his chest. Serena decided to ignore him and work on building friendships with the other four boys instead. She wouldn't get through to that chauvinistic pig anytime soon, she was sure of that.

"Yeah, well. So, what did you guys want to see? Cafeteria? Gym? Football field? Bathrooms?" She cracked a smile when she said 'bathrooms', and watched as a slow red blush tinted Quatre's face.

"Where's the computer lab?" Asked Trowa.

"Oh, it's this way, come on. I'm in there all the time."

"Wait, you're a girl, and you know how to use a computer? I missed something here." Said Duo as he casually put his arm around her waist. She let him, but kept a good distance as well.

"Yeah. I'm one of those brainy types of girls who've come to take over the world Duo." At her comment, even Hiiro and Trowa had to smirk. Duo looked stunned and stopped in the middle of his path, stopping Wufei in turn, who had been walking behind him.

"Braided baka! Injustice! Watch where you're headed!"

"I'm sorry Wu-man! I didn't mean it, honest!" Duo cried, pleading with Wufei for forgiveness. It had no effect what so ever.

"Kisama! Don't call me Wu-man!" With that, Wufei whipped out a katana and began chasing Duo around the halls until the two were out of the other's sight.

"Huh?" Serena asked, confused as well as amused. 

"Don't mind them. Those two are always at it. I wouldn't be surprised if one day Wufei caught him and the next day Duo came to school without a braid." Quatre joked lightly.

"I get it. A love-hate relationship, ne? I have one or two of those myself. But, I don't think they would cause me any emotional damage."

"What do you mean, emotional damage?" Asked Trowa.

"Well, if I were Duo, and I had my braid chopped off, I'd be bawling my eyes out for a week! None of my friends is that harsh." She laughed, and soon the others, well, Quatre, joined in. Trowa and Hiiro stood looking just as impassive as they had two minutes ago. Serena frowned. What was with these guys? What a tough crowd to please.

Hiiro inwardly thought Serena's jokes were cute. Not funny per say, but they added a certain 'spice' to an otherwise dull and mundane moment. He looked at her again, trying to see underneath the hood without actually appearing to be interested. Damn. It was not his day. It seemed like her face was just hidden within the dark blue shadow of her hood. He could see the rest of her, however. Starting from her feet up, he saw long, shapely legs under a blue pleated skirt, the uniform. She had a slight strip of skin in-between her shirt and skirt, which conveniently flaunted her belly button, and to top it all of, that same powder blue sweatshirt that hid her face. Suddenly, the bell rang, shocking him out of his deep reverie. He came back to life just as the hallway was filled with students, all pushing and shoving and crowding each other to get to lunch as fast as humanly possible in a sea of never ending people. He tried to move, but his legs felt like they were solid lead.

"Hiiro?" Trowa asked when Hiiro didn't follow Quatre, him, and Serena.

"Hnn." Hiiro finally sent the message to his brain that he wanted to move, and his legs began functioning normally. Why weren't they the first time? *


	3. The Usual Lunch Crew

Chapter Two: The Usual Lunch Crew 

Chapter Two: The Usual Lunch Crew 

*"Well, you guys have a choice. You can either eat with my gang and I, or you can chill by yourselves and see who you make friends with. Take your pick." Serena said with a knowing smile as soon as they reached the cafeteria. Somewhere along the way, Wufei had crossed their path and joined up with them. Duo was yet to be found, but Hiiro didn't think much of it. It was raining heavily outside and it was lunchtime. That meant there was only one place that braided baka could come for food, the cafeteria. And when he did come, he would join them and instigate another fight with Wufei again.

"Guys?" Quatre asked expectantly. He, personally, wanted to eat with Serena, just to be on the safer side of knowing someone, but he couldn't chose for the whole group. 

"Eat with a baka onna? I think not."

"Take that back! And if you ever call her a 'baka onna' again, you'll be saying those words out of the other side of your body, understand?" Said a tall girl with brown hair and light green eyes, coming from behind Serena and placing her hand on her shoulder. Hiiro watched Wufei blushed at the suggestion the amazoness had just made, then scowled and turned away. 

"Hey, you're my kind of gal! So what do you say to hooking up with me for ice cream after school, huh? I'll bet you know where the sweetest shop is." Said Duo, who had joined the group as Wufei had made his first comment.

"Not so bad yourself, and I do know every ice cream parlor in town." Said the mystery girl, very obviously eyeing Duo, then winking at him.

"Oh Lits!" Serena sighed in exasperation. Now she was going to hear the old 'he looks just like my old boyfriend' routine during practice all day! "Lita, this is Quatre, Trowa, Hiiro, Wufei, and Duo." Serena pointed to each as she introduced them. "Guys, this is Lita Kino. And over there are Ami Minzuno, Mina Aino, and Rei Hino,." She giggled as she finished her list of close friends.

"Jeez that's a mouthful! I don't think I'll ever get it all!" Duo whined.

"Hello. It's a pleasure to meet all of you." Said Quatre trying to make up for Duo's rude comment.

"Onnas! Injustice!" Cried Wufei. Pulling away from the group, he sat at the far end of the table where they were all beginning to sit down. 

"I'm Trowa."

"Hiiro Yui." Were the last of the introductions.

"Nice to meet all of you. I assume you're all in Serena's history class?" Ami said to them while opening her chemistry book.

"Yes. How would you know that?" Asked Trowa, slightly off kilter. Hiiro eyed him sharply. What had Trowa so thrown off balance that he had some inflection of emotion in his voice? He threw a look over to the short blue haired girl sitting across from him. She had to have been the cause, without a doubt. The question was, why?

"Well, given Serena's schedule, and her habits of volunteering to help orient newstudents to the school when they are in her class, it was only logical to assume you were all in her first class, which is history. Unless, of course, I've confused her classes with my own or one of the other girls, but I was certain I was right…" Ami looked up and blushed when she caught Trowa's intent stare. 

"Oh Ami!" Serena burst out in a fit of laughing. "No, no. You had it right. These guys are all in my history class. Don't worry so much about it. You're the smartest girl in school. I'm sure you don't need to worry about who's schedule you've mixed up, we'll all forgive you!"

"Yeah Ames! Take a hot pill!" Mina added. Lita gave a short laugh.

"Mina!…."

"A hot pill?" Asked Duo puzzled. Somehow all the guys had lost track of the topic of conversation somewhere after Serena spoke.

"She mixed up the saying. It's supposed to be chill pill." Lita explained. They all watched as Duo, Trowa, and Quatre cracked a grin, then a small laugh, then finally went into full-blown hysterics. 

"What?" Mina asked, obviously annoyed. Even Wufei, who had heard the conversation from the other end of the table, was to busy laughing to respond. Serena's eyes fluttered back and forth from each of her friends to the new boys. It was already apparent that attraction had been established between Duo and Lita and Trowa and Ami. Wufei, she was sure, was just as hotheaded as Rei, and as for Quatre, he would soon fall sucker to Mina, who was already beginning to eye him hungrily. But Hiiro. She couldn't place Hiiro. All of the others showed some emotion, but Hiiro did not. He was silent, stoic, and all had an all around negative karma. What was his deal?

While all of the others laughed, Hiiro watched on, silent as ever. He assumed these girls were good, wholesome people with innocent intent. They were far from any soldier he and his friends had ever fought. But there was something more to Serena, he was positive. Why was her hood still up? What was she hiding? She seemed like such a normal girl. Was she? Or was there something else he and his friends were missing? There had to be…

"Hiiro?" Serena tapped him on the shoulder. "Hiiro?"

"Hnn." 

"The bell rang. Form what the guys told me, you have Literature of Witness next. I have that English class too. Come on, I'll show you the way." Hiiro stood up. Grabbing his book bag, he joined her at the entrance to the cafeteria and they walked off to their next class. *


	4. A Project Projects Problems

Chapter Three: A Project Projects Problems

Chapter Three: A Project Projects Problems

* The teacher had been droning on for at least an hour. She had to be the worst teacher ever. Instead of teaching anything pertinent to the Literature of Witness, all of the students were listening to the teacher's wedding plans. Scanning the room, Hiiro's eyes landed on Serena. Still with her hood up, she was sitting and taking notes. Notes? On what? The color of the bouquet flowers? Getting a clearer view when she shifted her arm, he saw it was math problems she was solving on the paper. He inwardly smirked. So even the little straight A honor student wasn't paying attention to this class.

"Serena, which color do you think?" Asked the teacher suddenly. Hiiro snorted inwardly. There was no way…

"Well, because Ann has red hair, but Karen brown, I say go with the forest green you're hiding in your grade book. That is the best color for them, and it will be perfect for a winter wedding." If Hiiro had allowed his jaw to drop, it would have. She had seen it from across the room, while she was doing her math homework and had that hood covering her head. Even his eyes hadn't spotted the fabric piece until she said something.

"Thank you Serena! I was just about to bring that one out! Is that your math homework or chemistry?"

"Math Ms. Watcon."

"How's it going?"

"Pretty well so far. I'm nearly done."

"Wonderful. When you're done with that, would you mind making a few calculations for numbers of guests, you know, as long as you have that calculator out and ready…"

"Sure, no problem, I would love to help you out." Serena beamed from under her hood. 

"Splendid. So what do you all think of the green?" Asked the flighty teacher, resuming her 'lecture' with the rest of the class. 

The minute the teacher stopped concentrating on Serena, she went back to her algebra homework. It seemed algebra and chemistry were her two ruts. Every day she did either one of the other in this class, and if she didn't understand it, she asked for help after school. Today it actually appeared as if she understood the material. She was glad Ms. Watcon was such an easy teacher. As long as Serena kept an ear open to listen to what was going on, Ms. Watcon allowed her to work in class.Especially after she had received the highest grade in the class on her last final exam and three tests since. There! She was done! Now she didn't have to think about her horrid math dragging her down during squad practice today. Sighing lightly, she put away all but her calculator.

"Did you finish?" She heard a quiet deep voice mutter to her from behind. Slightly turning her head, she came to face Hiiro. While she was working, he had moved to sit behind her. 

"Yeah. How do you like Ms. Watcon?"

"Hnn." Hiiro had the urge to snort loudly, then pull a gun and shoot the woman out the window to get rid of her annoying high pitched and constantly chattering voice.

"I know what you mean. Sorry, but even if she wasn't planning her wedding she would still be like this. You're poor ears must be getting quite a mouthful." She tried to sound cheerful as quietly as possible.

"Hnn." He grunted again.

"You don't talk much, do you?" She slightly giggled. "That's alright. Neither does Ami. And from the looks of it, neither does Trowa. What do you think about setting those two up? They would make a cute couple, huh? And Duo and Lita too. But I think those two can take care of themselves. If I know Ami, she'd be way too scared to ever even talk to Trowa first. Any input?"

"…" Hiiro would have responded, but just them the bell rang. 

"Well, what do you have next?" She asked him, dropping the last subject.

" Chem." He said. Why had he even bothered telling her? Why had he bothered to say anything to her in the first place? Or to move to sit closer to her? Or why did he feel so… mixed up…about having to leave her for his next class?

"Hey! What do you have, a carbon copy of my schedule? I have chem. next too! Come on, I'll walk with you there! But I'm warning you: the teacher is a little… different than the others. He actually expects work to be done." She added a slightly more serious tone to her voice. Then she grabbed his hand and pulled it along with her. The hall was beginning to clear, and if they didn't hurry they would be late. Then he saw something. He stopped dead in his tracks.

Serena kept going, but when she was jerked back suddenly, she took notice that he had stopped. Looking around for what could have stopped this stoic boy so abruptly, she couldn't place it. Now the halls were almost cleared. The chem. lab was only another door down, and they had two minutes before they would be late. What was wrong? She felt him lifting her hand to his face. What was he… oh no! This was not good!

"Where did you get these bruises?" It was a gentle and quiet inquiry, not harsh like she had expected.

"Oh." She let out a small guilty giggle. "I got them from the squad. I fell wrong yesterday during practice and landed on a backpack. That's all."

"The squad?"

"Yeah. The squad. I told you I was on it earlier. Remember? Right before lunch?"

"Hnn. We'll be late. Where is this chem. lab?" He changed the subject quickly. She briefly prayed to any saint that was listening for thanks, then pulled him along again.

"Right here!" And with that, they entered just as the bell rang.

"Ms. Tsukino, Mr…. Yui, isn't it? So glad you decided to join us. Can you please give me a reason for your tardiness?"

"I'm sorry sir. I stopped to answer a question of Hiiro's about something, and with my long answer, I put us a little behind schedule. It won't happen again sir." She tipped her head slightly as a sign of deep respect. Hiiro just watched, almost amused. Serena had seemed so confident in the halls. With the other teachers she acted as if she were the educator. Now, for the first time, he was seeing a much more submissive side of her. It was almost strange; like she wasn't even the same person. 

"Take your seats. Mr. Yui, for future reference please refer to me as Mr. Hughes. You will be sitting next to Ms. Tsukino from now on. You will not switch seats every class, I require you stay in your assigned seat. I accept no late work, and if you fail a test, there are no retakes."

"Understood sir." Hiiro answered him, dropping back into his monotone Perfect Soldier personality. Serena was right: this class would be different.

"Very well. Now, as I was saying before you're classmates decided to interrupt and make fools of themselves for not being on time," He glared at Serena and Hiiro. "We will be beginning a lab today. This lab will include a long, formal lab report when it has been finished. Your instructions are simple: After I draw your names from a hat, you and your partner will work together to construct a hypothesis, test it over a long period of time, and then turn in a lab report at the end of the semester. Today is the only class time you will have with your partner. Any questions?" Not a hand went up. "Fine then. I will begin drawing names now. Steve and Sarah. Will and Caroline. Serena and Hiiro. Harriet and Herb…" Both student's eyes flew open. They were going to be long-term chemistry partners? Well, one thing was for certain: this would make for an interesting project indeed.*


	5. Practice Makes Perfect

Chapter Four: Practice Makes Perfect

Chapter Four: Practice Makes Perfect

*It had seemed like the class had gone on for hours. No wonder Serena didn't exactly love her chemistry class- or it's teacher for that matter. He was a stern man who believed lectures were the key to everything. And, if by chance a student happened to speak out in class or fail to answer a question when asked, he was even worse to that one student. That student usually seemed to be Serena too. Hiiro mussed over this while in his last class of the day, French. 

Somehow he and Serena were once again in the same class. She was right, it was like he had a carbon copy of her schedule. But that was alright with him. At least he thought it was. Why was it again? He had lost the little something known as 'rational thought' some where between lunch and that pointless English class. The minute she had left the chem. lab, she had gone back to her bright and cheery self and offered to help him find his next class, which had been hers as well. 

Serena listened to the teacher, paying apt attention to what she was saying. Madame Cook was leaving on some tangent about the Eiffel Tower, and Serena thought she knew enough on the subject to sneak a quick glance at Hiiro, who was sitting beside her in the back row of the class room. He had his eyes focused towards the front of the room, but not on the teacher. In fact, he didn't blink or even move in the entire minute she sat watching him. She knew that look. He was off daydreaming. Of what, she had no idea. 

Hiiro Yui was such a mystery to her. He was new, sure. But that wasn't it. No, there was something else altogether. His silence made her jumpy and put her on edge. But not in a bad way. No, not in a bad way at all. She felt lighthearted when she approached him, yet by the time she had finished speaking to him, or well, interacting with him in some way, shape, or form, she felt very much more subdued and almost at ease. But wait; didn't he put her on edge? Oh! It was all just too confusing.

Refocusing her eyes, she noticed Hiiro was staring straight at her. Blushing, she gave him a quick smile, then flipped her head back around and once again gave her full and undivided attention towards her teacher, who was now writing on the board a new conjugation for written verbs.

Hiiro had come out of his 'reverie' only to find she was staring straight at him. But he could tell, even with her hood up, that her eyes were glazed over and she was more just staring into oblivion. Well, that was fine. Let her do as she pleased. He would just stay away from her. No more of these stupid 'holes' in his memory or problems with moving his legs or speaking. Then he vaguely remembered the project for their chem. class. He would have to see her! And more often than just at school during class too! Things were not looking up today. Or were they? Oh! He couldn't tell anymore. Was this how the Perfect Soldier was going down? A sucker to some girl whom he had only met five hours ago? Since when was he going down at all? And going down where? He knew the answers to his questions, but they were buried under too many battle tactics and weaponry stats that he had lost them over his years as a soldier for Dr. J. 

Finally the bell rang. While the rest of the class vacated the room a quickly as possible, Serena and Hiiro stayed out, both completely and utterly lost within their own thoughts. 

"Serena? Hiiro?" The teacher asked them in a heavy French accent.

"Hmm?" Asked Serena in her dream-like state. 

"Don't you have squad practice Serena?" She asked her students, obviously amused that both were still quite gone in thought.

"Hmm." Serena responded. Then she blinked. "Oh! Oh no! Practice! I… hey Hiiro… Hiiro!" She tapped his shoulder. Finally he too blinked and came back to the land of the living. 

"Class end?" He asked, more a statement really than a question.

"Yeah, and I'm going to be late for practice if I don't jam. Did you want to come with me, or what?" She asked him, packing up as quickly as she could. 

"Hn." He answered her question. If he could get away from her now, he might be able to figure out what the hell was wrong with himself.

"Fine then. We do need to speak about that chem. project though. How long are you going to be here at school?"

"Whenever I want to leave." He answered, figuring it would be the best thing to discuss this now, but if he had too, he would wait for her 'practice' or whatever it was to be over to discuss it. 

"Well, the girls and I meet after practice every day from four-thirty to six at the library on Fourth Street. Think you could swing by on your way home around then?" She asked him with such professional a tone that he had to look at her face. She was holding a small date book in her arms, pressing it against her chest and hugging it in tightly, as if it would give her some warmth. 'I could warm her much better than that book…' he thought. Scratch that. What the hell was he on? He seriously needed a CAT scan- and soon. Maybe he really was a lunatic. 

"Fine. What is the latest time you'll be there?" He asked her, making sure he wouldn't miss her.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"What time will you parents pick you up from the library?" He said, more slowly so she would better understand him.

"Oh. They don't… uh. I mean… I'll be there until six. After that I leave." She fumbled with her words. Her parents pick her up? Sure, she had seen other students being picked up by their parents, but hers had never done it. Not even when she was in kindergarten. She had walked home as long as she could remember. Pick her up. Ha! That was almost funny.

"Fine then." He said.

"Oh no! I'm really running late. I've got to go! Bye Hiiro, see you!" She exclaimed as she raced out the classroom door and down the hall towards the gym and locker rooms. Hiiro just shook his head and then walked out of the room himself, leaving behind a French teacher who had seen the entire interaction and was grinning from ear to ear.

)(

" I know! And Quatre is just as hot as he is!" Mina gushed to Lita as the five girls sat on the mats in the room off the side of the school's gym. Surrounding them were balance beams, the hoops, parallel bars, uneven bars, and, of course, the floor mats. The 'squad' of five girls sat in a circle on the floor and were talking and stretching at the same time. As they all went through the normal routines, they spoke of the five newest additions to their school.

"Yeah, Quatre's not bad, but Duo is really hot! He's even already asked me out! You know, he looks just like my old…"

"Boyfriend!" Finished the other four girls in unison. They'd heard Lita's line before, most obviously. 

"So where's he going to take you Lita?" Rei asked her.

"He said he wants me to show him the town. We're going Friday night. Isn't that great?"

"Sounds fun Lita, but are you sure he won't interfere with the squad or your grades?" Ami asked her.

"You're not one to talk Ames!" Mina blurted out. "I saw the way you and Trowa were eyeing each other during calculus! Both of you were blushing so hard you looked like ripe tomatoes! Don't tell Lita off when you're nearly just as bad!" 

"Mina! We were not!" Ami denied the whole thing.

"Yup. Sounds like something our Ami might do." Serena said, finally joining the conversation. She usually preferred stretching without talking, though she loved the gossip she heard with the girls around. She was the only one of them that didn't have any classes together, and it made her feel slightly left out.

"I say all three of you should go for it." Rei added.

"Three? What about you Rei? You and Wufei stood arguing for nearly a half hour during you free period!" Lita shouted.

"How would you know that?" Rei countered her.

"We could hear you all the way in the home-ec classroom!" 

"So? What if we were arguing?" Rei snapped, a red tinge coming over her face.

"You two were made for each other!" Mina shouted above all the giggling.

"Get a life! There's no way that pompous, arrogant creep and I could ever… uhh! We, I, ew!!" Rei finished in a huff. By now, all of the girls who had previously been stretching were breaking apart to their own certain events. Rei made her way to the parallel bars, Mina to the uneven bars, Ami to the balance beam, Lita to the hoops, and Serena staying on the floor mat. Their coach had left on maternity leave, but had left them instructions on what they were supposed to practice while she was away. Beginning a complicated set of twists and spins and twirls on the floor, Serena became oblivious to everything around her, except her posture. And maybe the talking that the other girls were doing. Alright, so she was listening very deeply to what they were saying. 

"…So I invited him to our study session." Ami finished with a blush.

"You did? That's great! Ami's got a boyfriend, Ami's got a boyfriend!" Mina teased.

"Mina! We are really going to study, unlike you when you invite someone to our study sessions. And anyway, I thought Quatre was coming too." Ami finished, with an almost evil gleam in her eye. 

"Yeah, well, Duo talked him into it, so…"

"Duo's coming too?" Lita interrupted Mina.

"Yeah. And I think Wufei said something about not trusting Duo to go alone, so he was going to come and protect us from him and his injustices…"

"Wufei's coming? Oh great! More perverted nonsense form that egotistical chauvinistic pig!" Rei groaned.

"What about the last one? There are five of them, right? What about him?" Mina asked.

"I don't know. Hey, Serena, you showed them around this morning. What was the other guy's name?"

"Hiiro. Hiiro Yui." That was all Serena said before she tuned the girls and their chatter out for the rest of practice. It would not be good to think about Hiiro now. It would throw her concentration. Why, even just the mention of his name and she might not be able to get it out of her head again… too late. She mentally groaned and tried to shove the thoughts out of her head. Soon, she was too hot. She had to pull off the sweater that had given her refuge all day. Since the morning, the eye makeup had worn off, but the concealer still covered the majority of her bruises. All she could do was pray that no one would notice. Or care if they did.

)(

"So guys, what do think of this new school?" Quatre brought up the subject as the five guys sat around a table in the cafeteria, doing homework and just hanging out in general. 

"They've got some babes here! And Lita's one of the cutest!" Duo raved.

"It's not bad." Trowa agreed.

"Come on now Trowa! I saw you and that Ami girl talking! And blushing. I didn't know clown could blush. Hey, I didn't even know Gundam pilots could blush!" Duo joked.

"They can. Take Winner for example." Wufei smirked as he pointed out Quatre's unhealthy addiction to blushing shades of red.

"True. So tell us Q-man. Is there a specific shade of red I should blush when I kiss Lita Friday?" Wufei, Trowa, and Duo all broke out laughing deeply. Poor Quatre looked slightly put out, then perked up and smiled, then laughed with them.

"No Duo. I think the real question is what color you should blush after she punches you for kissing her in Friday." Quatre's comeback received an even larger amount of laughter than Duo's previous joke, and Duo frowned when he saw that even Hiiro had cracked a small smirk. Then he grinned and took things into his own hands.

"So Hiiro. Serena. What's the deal there?"He asked. Hiiro just gave him a blank stare. Damn, when Hiiro wanted to be evil, he could be.

"Yes Yui. You've been awfully quiet since we met that onna. What's wrong?" Wufei asked with a hint of fake innocence in voice.

"Hn." Hiiro grunted, hoping it would please his teasing and prying comrades. No such luck. 

"You know Hiiro. Serena is hot. And I do mean damn hot hot hot! I was thinking of asking her out for next Saturday. What do you think?" Duo taunted him.

"Hn." 

"You know, all the girls are meeting later tonight at the library. I'm going, and so are the others. Why don't you come Hiiro?" Quatre asked him.

"I'm already going." Hiiro answered, not sure he should have said anything at all. The minute he said something, he knew he shouldn't have.

"Ohhh! Go Hiiro! When did she ask you?" Duo bugged him.

"We have a chem. project to work on. She suggested we meet tonight to discuss topics and times." Hiiro said as monotone as possible.

"Oh man! Really Hiiro, you need to lighten up!" Duo told him.

"He's right. You do need to loosen up Hiiro." Trowa added.

"Hn."

"Well I'm going to go see Lita now." Duo said, stretching and standing.

"How? Isn't she at squad practice or whatever?" Wufei asked. 

"Yeah. They're all in the room off the gym. That's what she told me. Let's go find out what 'squad' is. Lita says she loves it, and that the coach isn't there now…" Duo said.

"Then who's in charge?" Trowa asked as they packed their stuff up and began walking towards the gym, which was only a little farther down the hall.

"That girl Hiiro likes, Serena is. You know, the one…"

"We know Maxwell! She did show us around this morning too you know." Wufei added in.

"Come on guys, not now. Let's just go in and watch them." Quatre said, trying to stop the fight before it began. They all stepped into the room and stood off to the side of the room, watching as the five girls they had met at lunch preformed amazing feats. 

Each boy was blown away by what the girls were accomplishing. While Quatre stared at Mina on the uneven bars, his jaw dropped. Wufei was surprised to see the 'weak onna' he had been fighting with earlier performing a handstand on the two parallel bars. Duo was drooling at the sight of Lita in a tight body suit and hanging off of the loops while flipping in circles. Even Trowa lost his cool when he saw Ami on the balance beam flipping in mid air and then landing on the beam without so much as a waver. Sure he could do it but he was a Gundam Pilot. These girls were just… well, girls!

Hiiro briefly glanced at the other four girls in the room, but his gaze landed on Serena. She was standing in the corner of room on a blue mat. She suddenly ran forward and jumped and flipped. Spinning in mid air, she landed solidly, then did a few more flips and hand springs. Forward, backward, up in the air, down on the floor, it had to be the most amazing site he had ever seen. She was amazing- defying gravity with the greatest of ease and still always landing and nailing it every time.Suddenly a loud bell went off and all of the girls stopped where they were. It was obvious that practice was over. *


	6. Let's Get to Work

Chapter Five: Let's Get to Work

Chapter Five: Let's Get to Work

*Serena was practically dead. She was ready to drop after all her routines. Four routines in all, she had had to practice each of them and still manage to watch and help her friends with their own. That and the fact that her ribs hurt so much she could barely breathe. Her father had really done a number on her last night.Picking up the water bottle she had left near her floor mats, she took a long swig of water and then looked to see where her friends had gone. She could hear them laughing up a storm. Seeing them huddled in a group near the door, she picked up her sweater and walked to join them.

As she neared, she saw why they were standing and laughing. The new boys were all leaning against the wall, except for Duo, who was now sprawled out on the floor, face first. She too, began to laugh. What in the stars had he been doing? 

Hiiro heard alien laughter and sought the source with his eyes. They finally landed on a girl. Not just any girl. This one was beyond normal. Golden hair stuffed into a messy bun was beginning to slip out and wisps were framing her pale face. Full, rose-tinted lips parted to let the fairy laughter spill from her mouth. Ocean blue eyes sparkled with mirth and warmth. Her eyes… Serena. He was staring at Serena! Sure, he knew what she had looked like, but this was the first time he was seeing her face. 

All day she had hidden herself beneath the blue hood of her sweater, so he had never seen her full face. Only her eyes, which had radiated warmth even then, were all that he had seen of her. Now that she had taken the hooded sweater off and he was seeing her whole face, he could skip pretty and go straight to beautiful. And maybe past that. Even as the Perfect Soldier he could recognize a beautiful girl when he saw one, and if Serena wasn't one, he didn't know what was. 

"Well, let us go change and then we can all head over to the library." Mina said to the rest of the guys.

"Of course, go right ahead. We'll wait for you in the hall."

"Sounds good." Agreed Lita as the five girls headed toward the locker rooms to shower and change. 

)(

It had only taken her fifteen minutes to shower, change, and redo her make-up so that her bruises weren't obvious. The other girls were just finishing up as well. She wondered how this library study session was going to work tonight. Usually they sat in companionable silence, except when one of them needed help, or when they all finished early. Then they either talked out the problem together or went out to grab a bite to eat. The difference in tonight was, with all the guys coming, she doubted she would get any work done. Letting her hair down, she shook it out and tried to forget the question she had been pondering the last few minutes.

"Serena, you ready?" She looked up to see Ami next to her, and the other three girls standing at the door. 

"Yup, let's book it!" She gave them a thousand watt smile and raised her arm. "Onward ho!" The other girls giggled and began marching like she was out the door to the group of guys, who were, by this time, simply staring and trying not to laugh.

"Don't laugh!" Serena purposely said to them, making them shake even more with silent laughter. Finally Duo let out his laugh, followed by Quatre, then Trowa.Wufei simply smirked, and, as usual, Hiiro kept a straight face. 

"We're sorry for laughing, but what were you doing?" Quatre managed to squeeze out as soon as he'd caught his breath.

"Serena had said 'onward ho' in the locker rooms. We were just following her example." Mina winked at him and then watched as he blushed to his roots red. He sure was cute.

"So then that baka onna Serena began this insanity?" Wufei shut them down.

"Baka onna? Watch your tone of voice! That's my meatball head your talking about here!" Rei quipped.

"Meatball head?" Duo broke out laughing again.

"Gee, thanks Rei. I feel so loved. You know I hate that name! Don't call me that… Pyro!"

"Pyro! You listen here meatball head! Don't you even start with me! I was defending you here!"

"With that name? You did more harm than good!" Both girls were having a hard time not laughing.

"Do they fight like this often?" Trowa whisper-asked Ami in her ear. She blushed and pulled his tall head down closer so she could whisper in his ear. 

"What do you think?" Trowa shivered at the fell of her warm breath on his cool ear, and the brush of her soft lips against his cheek as she took her head away from his. He had thought she was the shy one of the group!

Suddenly, Hiiro found himself walking down the hallway of the school and out the entrance doors while Serena and Rei were arm in arm laughing. Stop. Rewind. What had just happened? They had been fighting like Duo and Wufei, but that didn't seem to matter to them anymore.

On they walked in the cold wind. It was still pouring rain, it just never seemed to let up. At least it wasn't hailing. That would have been much worse. What he did not understand was how they had managed to make it nearly a full block without getting one raindrop on him. Even with the overhangs they were dashing underneath, the wind should have blown the icy droplets in to them, but it didn't. Hiiro found himself watching Serena again. What was it about her that drew him to her? 

Now she was in-between Lita and Rei, as if they were protecting her from the elements. And she looked content with the arrangement too. She skipped along merrily, as if the sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and talked up quite a storm while doing it too. She was so happy and warm. Something just didn't feel right about it.

Finally, they reached their destination. As they hurried from the last overhang to the giant concrete steps of the old library, the girls screamed. Laughing and playing in the rain had always been one of Serena's favorite things. She adored the wet weather. Asherfriends all entered, she stopped formoment. On the middle step, she just stood. She spread her arms wide and looked up into the blackened heavens. Closing her eyes, she let the rain drip and run down her face, arms, and legs, soaking her clothes thoroughly. 

Hiiro entered the library first and waited for Serena to as well. When her friends all tumbled in, one right after another, Serena did not. Opening the door to the cold outdoors, Hiiro spotted her. With her arms open wide, as if to embrace the entire heavens, she was just standing in the rain. She looked so peaceful and content. Her cheeks were flushed with just hints of red, and her lips were slightly parted. He could see her breath come out in a puffy fog as she breathed in deeply, then exhaled, again and again. Finally, he decided if she didn't come in, she would probably catch a cold. He walked back down the steps to her and gently took her cold hand in his own. Tugging on it slightly, he was able to awaken her from her trance and pull her inside the library. 

When Serena stepped into the library, she felt almost too hot. As she adjusted to the warmer temperature, she turned to Hiiro, who had pulled her in. The difference was slight, but she was still able to faintly detectit. He still wore the same impassive mask upon his lonely visage, yet there was something hidden in hisonce empty eyes. Though she could not decipher what, she knew that he was, at least, beginning to warm up, even just slightly.

"Thank you." They were such simple words. Even still, he felt a small shiver speed up his spine.

"Where do we work?" He asked her, trying to keep things simple.

"Well, we can either just pick a table and work there, or we can find an individual room and work on it in there." She told him as she rung her hair out. Hiiro thought about the possibilities. On one hand, they would probably be interrupted by Duo or one of her friends if they were in the open. On the other hand, he wasn't quite sure he wanted to be all alone with her. She did things to him… strange things. 

"A table anywhere will be fine." He finally decided.

"Alright. Let's get on of the ones in the back so the others won't bother us." She said as she picked up her bag and began walking back towards the end of the library. 

Serena had been sitting across from Hiiro in silence for the last three minutes. He had neglected to utter so much as a word so far. How were they going to get this project done? 

"So…" she tried to begin. "What should our topic be?"

"Hn." He said. He was being difficult for her.

"OK. Let's start with the basics. From classtoday, I think you saw that I am not exactly a chemistry protégée. In fact, to be quite blunt about the whole matter, chem. is my worst class. I'm sorry you got stuck with someone as bad at this as me, but I'm yourlot, so face up to the facts. Now, if you want to do well on this, I will need your help." She finished. All be darn it if she let him intimidate her.

"Fine." He said, actually surprised that she had spoken out like she had. "Our topic is…" he blanked. He had no idea what they were learning in class. Today he had tuned Mr. Hughes out to focus on more pressing issues, like what his new email address should be. He had to change it again, of course, because Relena had figured it out one way or another… forty messages from her was forty too many in his opinion. 

"Um…" Serena added. "I know! How about interactions between different chemicals with one specific chemical?"

"Which chemicals?" Hiiro asked her.

" I don't know what will explode with each other. Why don't you pick the chemicals?" 

"Fine. I'll have them in two days." He said.

"Two days? You can get chemicals that fast? Don't you need a license of some sort?" She asked confused. How could he get them in only two days?

"I'll take care of it. When do we meet to do the experiments?" He asked her.

"Any day after school is fine with me, as long as it's after practice." She said.

"I'll be at your house in two days then. We'll…"

"Huh? My… my house?" She asked nervously. No one had ever been to her house, not even the girls.

"Why not?" He asked. 

"Uh… no reason. My mother just won't like the mess. How about if we do it at your place?" She managed a grin.

"My place is with the rest of the guys in an apartment. Sure you want to risk chemicals and Duo together in one place?" He asked her, very seriously. She smiled, the laughed.

"Yeah. I know it's adangerous combination, but hey, now days, what isn't? I'm going to start my other homework now that we've established the basics. You're welcometo stay - not that you'd be able to leave anyway." She snickered. 

"Why wouldn't I be able to leave?" He asked her. She looked hard at him. His voice had held some small inflection of wonder, and dare she think, amusement.

"Because. Look at Ami and Trowa. Then at poor Quatre and Mina, and at Lita and Duo. Then look at Wufei and Rei. Maybe by then you'll know why." She smirked.

Hiiro turned his head to find Trowa, his best bet for safe emotional advice, lip-locked with the shorter blue haired girl. He blanched, but held it. Then he saw Quatre with Mina in his lap reading a book. Though Quatre was blushing beat red, Mina was still flirting strongly with him, leaning in towards him, pecking his cheek, and occasionally whispering things in his ear that made him even redder.Hiiro shuddered. Duo and Lita were next. What he saw wasn't just kissing. Hell, it wasn't even lip-locking. It was full blown face sucking. He briefly wondered how long those two could keep it up before they needed to breath. Apparently, it was longer than he could stand to watch them. Even Wufei and Rei were caught up in aheated 'interaction'.Ok, so the two were still arguing with each other. It was still just as good as them kissing each other.

Serena watched as her best friends all kept kissing their guys. She didn't care. She really didn't. Really. What she had come to do was homework, so she was going to do it. She left Hiiro at the end of the bookshelf, still watching the others, and went back to their table. Opening her book bag, she took out her history book and began on the chapter eleven notes that were due the next day. 

She was cold. Only half way through her notes, Serena began to shiver. She should have known standing in the rain and then sitting in wet clothes was not smart, but she hadn't figured the consequences of her actions into her thoughts earlier. Suddenly she felt a large, warm, soft jacket being draped around her shoulders. Looking behind he, she saw Hiiro. 

"Thank… thank you. How did you know I was cold?" She asked him.

"I saw you shiver. Next time you shouldn't stand in the rain like that. You could get sick." He frowned. He was being so nice. After seeing his friends all draped in the arms of a woman, he had felt strange. Almost jealous. Why couldn't he find someone – just once, why couldn't it be him?

Sitting down, he noticed something he had neglected to spot earlier. The leftside of Serena's pretty face was slightly darker than the right, and almost seemed swollen. Upon closer inspection, he could see bruises along her cheek bone all the way to her eye. Where had she gotten those? They seemed recent, but she hadn't mentioned any fall… had someone done it to her? She hadn't said she had a boyfriend, so who else could do it? Rei? No, she would never. Then where had the bruises come from?*


	7. Home Sweet Home

Chapter Six: Home Sweet Home 

Chapter Six: Home Sweet Home 

*"Where did you get those bruises?" He asked her gently, trying to prod the answer out of her.

"What bruises?" She asked him, trying to brush his question off.

"The painful, swollen black, blue and brown ones that decorate the entire left side of your face."

"Hey! Stop insulting me!" She cried, trying to act as if she didn't know what he was talking about. Could he see right through her make-up?

"You know what I'm talking about, stop trying to change the subject." He stood up and walked around the table, closing in on her. He watched her shrink back. She too, had stood when he had. As he advanced on her, she backed herself into the corner of the library shelves. Finally she had to stop because she couldn't back up any more. 

"Serena…" he paused. He could see she was still shivering, not to mention now she was practically cowering in fear. He wanted to say something to her. Something that would lead her to trust him. He wanted to… to… help her. Wasn't that what it was called? Help? No, there was another word…

"Hiiro, please… just leave me alone. Really. I just fell down some stairs. Honest. Ask the girls. I'm a known klutz." She barely whispered the words. He was so big, so intimidating that she wanted to just curl up and disappear. 

"Stairs huh? Then why isn't the other side of your face bruised?" He asked he calmly. Hysterics never helped anyone.

"I don't know, it just isn't alright? Can't you just except that?" She said losing her cool. She brought her hand to her mouth and gasped at her outburst. 

"No, I can't. Where did you get these bruises?" He raised a hand and reached out towards her. He watched as she cowered in fear and tried to cover her head.

"Please don't hit me!" Came her desperate plea. He stopped his hand cold. So someone had been doing this to her, it wasn't just some klutz attack. 

"I'm not going to hit you. Serena, look at me." He commanded her. She slowly lifted her head and looked at him. He could see the diamond tears forming in her eyes. Once again he lifted his hand towards her, this time much slower.

He gently touched her face. Tilting her head to give him a better view of the bruises, his eyes widened. These were disgusting bruises. He could feel her shivering, even under his jacket. Remembering something he had seen earlier, he brought his other hand over to her arm and pulled it up. Under the sleeve of his jacket he could see bruises up and down her arm. He looked over her other arm. The same thing.

"Serena. Who did this to you?" He asked her.

"No one. I told you, I fell down stairs." She held her head up high in prideful shame. It was obvious he wasn't going to get an answer from her. And he was certain her friends didn't know because otherwise they would have done something. No, this he was going to have to find out later, when she was more willing to tell him the truth.

"Hiiro, it's six o'clock. I need to leave now." She was able to squeeze out.

"Fine." He backed off enough so he could let her squeeze past him to pack her books. 

As Serena walked past him, she breathed a small sigh of relief. She had been so scared that he was going to hurt her… but he hadn't. He had wanted to know who had. Well, she wasn't going to tell him. Who knew what he would do? Besides, her father and mother didn't mean to hurt her, they loved her. They just had some problems. But it was ok for them to use her as their punching bag, she didn't mind at all, she loved them. She loved them. Loved them.

She was able to collect both her belongings and herself emotionally before she stepped out of the secluded area she and Hiiro had chosen to sit and work in. Quickly scanning for all of her friends, she decided not to disturb them and just headed straight for the door. As she reached the door, she realized she was still wearing Hiiro's jacket. Now she would have to go back and find him. 

"Keep it for our walk to your house. It's still raining, and you're cold enough as it is." Came a voice from in front of her. Spinning around, she saw Hiiro with his book bag slung over his shoulder standing in the door. 

"Huh? What do you mean until 'we' get to my house?" She asked him, trying to clear up something she thought she had heard wrong.

"I mean, keep it until we get to your house. Then you can give it back to me." He reiterated plainly.

"No way. You can't come home with me!" She cried horrified.

"Can't? I can, and I am. Let's go." He stated stoically.

"But…"

"Let's go." He walked up to her and gently tugged at the sleeve of her sweater. Was he crazy? He was silent all day, and then he wanted to walk her home in the rain? Yeah, she was pretty convinced he was crazy.

Out of the library, things had picked up. The wind was much stronger, and now thunder and lightening ruled the sky. Serena shivered and whimpered. If there was anything worse than her chem. class it was thunder and lightening storms. As much as she loved rain, she was scared to death of full-blown thunder and lightening storms. She felt a strong arm encircle her waist and bring her in closer to a warm body.

"You're falling behind." Was the reason he gave, but they both knew her was trying to make her feel better about the storm. 

"We're almost there." She told him. He looked up at the surrounding neighborhood. It was filled with dirty apartment buildings and trashcans. Under what eves hung in the allies clung groups of homeless people around fire barrels and he could hear sirens and a car alarm in the distance. He could see the street- lights were fading and the light they shone was minimal as it was. Finally she stopped in front of a small apartment building. He could see no lights in the building that were on, and felt incredibly vile about leaving her here in a place like this.

"Thank you Hiiro. Not many have ever walked me home. Here's your jacket. Get out of here fast, alright? Bye!" With all the energy she could muster, she flung his jacket back at hims and ran up the concrete steps and into the building, leaving Hiiro standing in the rain, completely stunned.

He stood there for a second longer. Then, turning slowly, he began on his trip back in the other direction of his own apartment. The neighborhood gave him an unsettling feeling in his stomach that he just couldn't decipher. He had seen this kind of slums before, when Duo had taken them back to where he had grown up. Of course, Duo had insisted that the neighborhood had been much better when he was younger, just that it had become run down after the loss of the church he had grown up in. He gave Serena's apartment building one last glance before turning the street corner.

)(

Serena shuddered as she stood against the door to the building. She had been rather rude to Hiiro when she had told him to leave. Well, she didn't have time to think about that tonight. She was a little late, and the thunder and lightening was making her jumpy as it was. 

Climbing the cold stairs, she realized the lights were all out. Her parents must not have paid the power bill. It couldn't bea fuse because the small stair lights still flickered faintly. Reaching her floor and her door, she took a huge breath and stepped inside.

"Mom? Dad? Anyone home?" She called hesitantly. When she received no response, she assumed they were either gone or passed out. Checking the restof the three rooms, she found no one. So they were out. Letting her guard down a bit, she relaxed enough to finish all of her chores in record time, even in the dark. She had managed to find a small collection of candles and a flashlight, so she lit the candles and spread them out in the apartment. Then she took the flashlight with her and sat down on the floor in her room to complete her homework for history class. 

"Serena!" A voice screamed. She woke with a start. Serena looked around her. She noticed the book and binder she had neglected when she had fallen asleep. Her back was sore from the sitting position she had been in, and the rest of her hurt in general from her 'accident' the night before. The voice came again.

"Serena! Get your ass out here!" Daddy was home. She brushed her books aside and opened the door to her room. Walking out to the family room, she spied her father holding a bottle of Jack Daniels and taking a swig every now and then of the gruesome liquid.

"Dad, you're home. Here, why don't you let me put you to bed daddy?" She asked him as sweetly as possible.

"Bed? Bed? Daddy? An excellent idea sweetheart! Bed!" He stumbled and tripped to his bedroom door. Serena saw he has a problem opening the door, so se walked over and helped. 

"Come on daddy, give me that bottle and I'll tuck you in." She coaxed him.

"No! I want to keep my bottle!"

"Now daddy…" he cut her off.

"No! Who wears the pants in this family bitch? You will respectyour daddy!" He made an attempt to hit her, but she ducked out of range. Then he did drop the bottle… and made a grab for her. 

As hard as she struggled against him, she couldn't break his iron grip. He had her hair in one fist and her wrist in his other. He pulled her in closer and crushed her lips to his bitter drunk ones. She denied him access to her mouth when she felt his tongue seeking an entrance. Scared and too weak to do anything about what was about to happen, she tried to scream.

"Bitch! Didn't that whore of a mother teach you little girls should be seen and not heard?" He whispered into her ear in a dangerously low voice . This time he found an old piece of cloth and tied it around her mouth like a gag. Throwing her onto the bed in the center of the room and stripping her clothes, all she could do was pray. Then, as an act of compassion from God, she fainted as her own father began to defile her in ways she never thought him capable.*


	8. The Breakfast Club

Chapter Six: The Breakfast Club Victoria J. Draeger Normal Victoria J. Draeger 1 1904-01-09T09:00:00Z 1904-01-09T09:01:00Z 5 1691 9642 Zero One Ink. 80 19 11841 9.2511 0 0 

Chapter Six: The Breakfast Club

*Stiff. She felt stiff. And cold. And lonely. And dirty. Very dirty. Serena had awoken on the floor of her parent's bedroom. Looking around the room as best she could, she saw her naked father passed out on the bed, spread eagle on his stomach. The smashed Jack Daniels bottle he had dropped the night before was next to her, and she could she one of its shards pressing into her shoulder. On her other side was a puddle of puke, the contents of her father's stomach last night no doubt. Finally standing up, she felt dizzy.

She picked up her tattered clothes and put on what was left of her oversized nightshirt. Taking the blanket that had found it's way to the floor at the foot of the bed; she placed it over her father. Giving him a small peck on the cheek and one last look, she turned and limped out the door, shutting it behind her.

As Serena walked to her room, she saw her mother leaning against the wall next to the main door in their apartment. Walking up to her, she gently checked her pulse. Finding it, she saw that it was low, but not dangerous. Sighing, she walked into her own room, grabbed the only blanket on her bed, and brought it back out to drape over her mother. Finally finished taking care of her parents, Serena entered her own room. 

Looking around for a spare uniform, she found one in her closet. Quickly showering, she took little time to pay heed to the damage she had received the night before. Only bothering to put on her heavy face makeup, she grabbed her still damp sweater form the day before and threw it on. It was still raining, but not as much as last night. Well, the sweater was already wet. A little more rain wouldn't make much of a difference. Grabbing an umbrella from her closet, she picked up her finished homework and dashed for the door. If she didn't hurry, she would miss school. If she missed school, her perfect record would be marred. She would never let that happen. 

)(

Hiiro woke with a start. He had dreamt of a dark shadow all night. What the shadow meant, he had no idea. What he did know was that the shadow had been looming over a certain blue-eyed blonde's head…

"Hiiro! Hey Hiiro! Hurry up! Quatre made pancakes!" Duo's voice floated through his room. Come to think of it, he was awful hungry… he hadn't eaten dinner the night before. 

When he had gotten home the night before he found he had a message from Trowa on their newest vid-phone. Simply stated, he and the other guys and their 'girls' had gone out for dinner. Hiiro, uncaring at the time, ignored the message and finished his homework. Now he was sorry for not eating. Opening his door, he stepped out, dressed and ready for the day in his uniform. 

"Hey Hiiro! There you are!" Quatre greeted him form the 'kitchen' of their apartment.

"Yeah. We were beginning to think you'd died in there…" Duo joked.

"Idiot…" Wufei muttered under his breath.

"Hiiro, where were you and Serena last night?" Trowa asked him.

"Hn." Seeing the looks he was getting, he knew what they were thinking. Time to set them straight. "She had a six thirty curfew. I made sure she got home alright and came back here."

"That's it? Man! You are so uptight!" Duo laughed at him.

"What's her home like? The girls said they've never seen it." Trowa asked.

"It's different." When the boys saw Hiiro's expression, they stopped the third degree and busied themselves with the pancakes. While Hiiro ate his, he wondered whether Serena had eaten last night either. She was already so thin…

"Time for class, Yui, come on!" Wufei practically yelled at him. Hiiro broke his train of thought and left for school. Today would be interesting for sure.

)(

"No, I wasn't planning on it, but I did want to have some kind of flowers to match the color of the bride's maid's dresses." Drawled Ms. Watcon. Today English class was first on the agenda. Hiiro sat bored as hell. Diagonally in front of him was Serena, and all he could do was stare at her profile. Well, it wasn't much of one. Once again she had that confounded sweater on, and it hid most of her face from his view. He didn't understand why, but he had a feeling of foreboding clouding his thoughts. Serena appeared to be paying rapt attention to the teacher, so he would have to speak with her later on the…issues… he wanted answers to.

Serena was staring intently at her teacher alright. But staring and paying attention were two different things in her book today. All she could think about was her 'night'. He father of all people. How could he? He loved her. She knew he had been drunk, but still… and with all this wedding talk her teacher was doing, she felt even sicker. Who would ever love her like she was: defiled, beaten, used. No one. She would be forced to be alone forever, never experiencing any true friendship, any true love at all. She felt incredibly ill now.

Hiiro watched as Serena's expression got darker and darker. Her azure eyes that were usually filled with so much happiness darkened and narrowed. It seemed as if she shrunk in size all of a sudden. He wished he could see her face, so he could see what she was thinking. It couldn't have been very happy thoughts. Then the bell rang. 

When she heard the bell ring, Serena blinked away the tears that had threatened and put on her classic smile. Packing up her notebook, she pushed any and all philosophical thoughts out of her mind. She couldn't afford to think now, her body hurt too much. Every small movement felt like sharp knives cutting deeply into her skin. Her head pounded with pain and her vision blurred as she made the move to sling her backpack onto her shoulders. She forgot about the cut the shard of glass had made. Hissing slightly as she lifted the heavy weight onto her back, she forced herself to continue smiling. No use in showing the pain, people would only ask more questions she wasn't willing to answer. Much like Hiiro…

She could feel him staring into her back the entire class. She knew he wanted answers, but to what she wasn't sure. One thing was for sure: she didn't want to stick around to find out. Well, she almost didn't want to… there was just something about him. He intrigued her. He was quiet, calm, collected, but held raging emotions within his often vacant glares. What was his past? What caused him to act so distant? 

"Where are you going now?" His voice must have shocked her, because she jumped in response. She looked so thin and pale and lost.

"It's my free. In fact, I have two frees right in a row. I'm going, oh, I don't know. Where ever I want to I guess." He had surprised her with his deep voice coming out of the shadows like it had. 

"Hn." He answered. He didn't have two frees right in a row, but he could always skip the second class. Not like he didn't already know everything they were learning now.

"What is that supposed to mean? I mean, 'Hn' can mean so many different things, how am I supposed to figure out which thing it means?" She slightly pouted. He fought the urge to smirk at her small complaint. Duo had made the same one once. Funny, Duo's had been annoying. Serena's was just cute. 'Note: strike the word cute from vocabulary list.' He thought to himself, mad that he would be thinking like this. Then he thought of something.

"Had breakfast yet?" He asked her. She bit her lip in surprise. Breakfast? She never ate breakfast or dinner, only lunch because she could get it here at school. But the school didn't serve breakfast… 

"No, but I usually don't eat breakfast anyway." She told him quickly. She didn't need him on her case anymore than he already was. Oh did her shoulder sting and ribs burn. This weight of her backpack was killing her.

Hiiro frowned. She didn't eat breakfast? Even when he was on a mission he ate some form of breakfast. What she was doing was dangerous and unhealthy. He had to do something.

"Come eat with me." He told her. It was not a request.

"What? Now? Where? They don't serve food until lunchtime here." She told him, slightly confused.

"We'll go off campus." He told her, not leaving her room to disagree. 'Well,' she thought, 'it's better than being stuck in pain with nothing to do here. At least I'll be stuck in pain while eating.' 

"Well, alright…" She began, but he was already walking off towards the parking lot. Apparently he had a car too. She wondered where it had been last night while they walked to the library in the rain. 

)(

Ten minutes later the two students were seated in booth in the very back of a Denny's restaurant. Serena still had her wet sweater on, and Hiiro was trying to think of a way to get information out of her without seeming like he was.

"Thank you for taking me here Hiiro." She told him quietly. "I don't often get in a nice meal at a restaurant." 

"Why not?" this could be the lead he needed.

"Oh, my family I usually too busy to get out, that's all." She covered. Close call there.

"Busy? Do both your parents work then?" He asked her, trying to keep her going with the thought.

"Well, sort of. My mom just went back to work, and my dad does odd jobs here and there." She thought that was a relatively safe answer. Then she thought of something. "Where are your parents? Or Duo's? Or Quatre's?" 

"Duo is an orphan. He was raised in a church orphanage. Quatre's father was killed during a fight and his mother died two days after he was born. Trowa doesn't know who he really is, and Wufei's parents and wife were killed in a fight." He answered her. Well, if he wanted her to answer, he'd better do some of his own.

"Wufei was married?" Serena frowned. The more she learned about these boys, the closer she felt to them. She could relate to them…

"For a short while. It was an arranged marriage. You'll need to ask him more later, but he doesn't like to speak of it."

"Makes sense. But what about you?" She pressed.

"I was raised by a man named Odin Lowe. He wasn't my father, but he took care of my needs. Then I was transferred to the care of a Doctor J. when I was seven. I lived with him until I was fourteen. Then I left." Wait a minute, why was he telling her all of this? It had taken Duo and Quatre ten times longer to figure these things out about him.

"Have you enjoyed your life so far?" She asked quietly. "I mean, are you happy?" She watched his eyes glaze over in an unreadable but lonely expression.

"I…I…" He couldn't finish.

"Don't answer. Just think about it." She told him. The waitress chose that moment to bring them their food. Digging in, Serena could practically taste the soft fluffy waffles melt in her mouth. So good…

Hiiro watched as Serena inhaled her food, yet still managed to take time to savor every bite. He got the distinct feeling she didn't eat often at all, let alone never eat breakfast. As he watched he eat, he saw her hood slip off, and he saw more, darker, bruises on her face than there had been last night. 

If she had gone home directly after they had finished their homework, the only people she could have seen were her parents. And she hadn't had those bruises the day before. Bruises, parents. Parents, bruises. Her parents had been the ones to beat her! How dense could he be! Some Perfect Soldier. No wonder she hadn't wanted him around the night before. No wonder she looked so thin. She was being abused at home. He felt anger welling up inside him as he watched the content blonde eat her food.

Her long blonde hair dripped out and framed her face and shoulders. Her eyes held nothing but happiness and joy. How could she possibly be being beaten? This cheerful, sweet innocent girl? It just didn't seem possible. She wasn't even remotely bitter about it. Something else was going on. The question was, what?*


	9. Emotionally Weak

Chapter Seven: Emotionally Weak Victoria J. Draeger Normal Victoria J. Draeger 1 1904-01-09T09:02:00Z 1904-01-09T09:02:00Z 6 2098 11962 Zero One Ink. 99 23 14690 9.2511 0 0 

Chapter Seven: Emotionally Weak

* Sitting in her chem. class, Serena found herself at a complete loss. Her teacher was explaining wavelengths and spectrums and she was trying to figure out what to title her notes for the day. It seemed that no matter how hard she worked in chem., she couldn't keep up. All of her other classes were easy fly by's, even when the teacher was actually teaching something. It was just this one class that killed her. 

The worst part was the teacher, without a doubt. If there had been three hundred of the smartest chem. students in the world in her class, he would still pick her to answer the hardest questions. Not only that, but when she asked for help she was told that she should be paying attention in class and that that should be enough help as it was. Yes, she definitely disliked Mr. Hughes.

And, of course, it didn't help her that Hiiro Yui sat right next to her. Not only was he incredibly advanced in the class, he distracted her beyond belief. It wasn't that he pulled her hair or called her names, that, she could have dealt with. It was the fact that over the last one week he had somehow managed to break and rearrange everything she had thought to be true or held important. Suddenly eating more than an apple a day was important. Suddenly sleeping was vital to having a good day. Suddenly she found herself in a trap. She was beginning to trust him, to depend upon him. Did she really want that? She knew the answer, but hid it within the deep reaches of her heart. It was not something she had time to either contemplate or act upon. 

Hiiro was sitting and sleeping. At least, that was how it looked to the average eye. But he was not sleeping at all. In fact, he was far from it. With his eyes open to tiny slits, he was indiscreetly watching Serena daydreaming. Hiiro had long since given up reasoning why he liked being around her. He had dropped his denials that he wanted nothing to do with her. That had been such bullshit in the first place. If anything, he wanted to be around her all the time. Class, lunch, practice, homework, he wanted to be near her for it all. And she let him, too. The only thing she denied him was staying the night with him.

No! He wasn't some physco lunatic or perverted weirdo. He just hated the fact that every night he left her on her stoop at home he had to worry about whether or not she would live through to see the next day. Over the last week he had seen her problems go from major to massive to absolutely and extremely absurd. The bruises were getting darker and more frequent. She was quieter than when they had first met, and seemed more reserved. But her eyes still shone with a happy spark that hid the pain he knew had to reside within her heart.

What he really wanted to do was go to her apartment and beat the shit out of those good for naught parents of hers. What they did to their own daughter, their own flesh and blood was absolutely sick. And he knew both of them knew it. Only little Serena seemed innocent of the wrongfulness of her parents. Time and time again he confronted her about the bruises, sprained ankles, deep cuts, and every time she told him the same thing: "What are you talking about Hiiro? I fell down the stairs." By now both of them knew she was lying and knew the other knew she was lying, but this saved her pride. He just wished she would come to him to tell him what had been happening. 

"Mr. Yui. What is the equation to calculating the wavelength of a line spectrum?" Mr. Hughes calmly asked. Hiiro could see the smirk on the man's face. So Mr. Hughes thought he would get the best pf the Perfect Soldier did he?

"C=Vx3.00x10^-7." Mr. Hughes looked positively shocked. He hated having Hiiro Yui as a student. Every time it looked like Hiiro was asleep and not paying attention he would call on him, and then the little rat of a boy would show him up by answering correctly. Well, at least he could still pick on Serena…

"And Ms. Tsukino, what is the definition of a line spectrum?" Serena beamed. She knew this one!

"A line spectrum is a continuous spectrum that only includes one color." She beamed a smile. Then she saw Mr. Hughes frown even more. 

"Very good Ms Tsukino. I expect you to get better than a C- on your next test. It would be a nice change." Mr. Hughes' frown became a smile. Even though she had gotten the question right, she was still fin to pick on. Weak little bitch…

Serena sat in shock. Both blushing madly and near tears, she lowered her head. How could that teacher say such a thing! And in front of her whole class too. Not being able to answer his questions most of the time was embarrassment enough, but now the whole class was in an uproar of laughter, literally. She shook her head, trying to shake it off. She shook harder. Then harder still. She couldn't handle it! It was too much! She grabbed her backpack and ran from the classroom, tears streaming down her face.

Hiiro had heard the crack about Serena's tests. Oh he had heard it alright. And he was going to do something about it. But he was sure Serena wouldn't want him to make a big deal about it. He sat and watched her with a heavy heart as she blushed and tried to choke back tears. He saw her hand move to pick up her backpack and lost control himself. Serena got enough of this at home every night with her parents, he was sure. She didn't need it at school too. And as long as he was here, he was going to prevent it from happening. Standing up, Hiiro reached to grab his backpack and then began to walk down the aisle in-between the desks. 

"Mr. Yui. Where do you think you are going? Class is not over. Serena is a weak little girl who cannot handle herself emotionally. I would expect better from you." Mr. Hughes said, walking on cloud nine from yelling at Serena. It had felt so good to make her cry. Then he noticed Hiiro Yui's glare and lost all feeling within his body. His spine tingled and suddenly the room was too small.

"Hnn." Hiiro grunted in acknowledgment of Mr. Hughes' blow to Serena's strength. But just because he acknowledged it didn't mean he agreed with it.

"What's wrong Mr. Yui, cat got your tongue?" Mr. Hughes tried to laugh. No sound came out.

"Hnn." With one smooth move, Hiiro gave a good, solid punch directly to Mr. Hughes' stomach. He watched in glee as the man's face twisted and contorted in splendid pain. The older man twitched and then fell to the floor with a loud thump. 

"Watch what you say." Were Hiiro's last words before he walked out of the room to find Serena. 

)(

Serena had run to the women's bathrooms. She was sick, very sick. After throwing up the contents of her stomach, which wasn't a lot to begin with, she rinsed her mouth and tried to wash her tear stained face. 

What the hell was wrong with her? How could she possibly keep living like this? This… lie… so everyone thought she was perfect. She had over a 4.0 GPA, blonde hair, blue eyes, was in great shape, captain of the gymnastics team at school, smart, and happy. Oh yes, she was always happy. And forgiving, can't forget the fact that she was the most forgiving person in the damn school, no! That would be sacrilege! And yet, here she was, crying over something mean a teacher had said to her! Her own parents couldn't make her cry, yet this creepy teacher who found pleasure in mocking his students had brought her to his level and made her cry. 

She was so weak! She couldn't stand it. It wasn't right. She was supposed to be above all of the teasing. Above the abuse. Above it. She was supposed to let it roll off her back like water off of a duck's, but no! She had let it get the better of her. She was utterly disgusted with herself. Looking in the mirror, she couldn't stand to look very long. It made her want to throw up again. She heard the bell ring and was glad. It meant school was over. That, and her squad practice had been cancelled. She had a good idea of what she could do to cure this problem, this revolting crisis of a life she led. Holding her head high, she walked out of the bathroom and into the hall.

"Feel better?" She glanced to the side to see Hiiro leaning against the wall next to the bathroom door. How had he known? 

"Yes." She told him blatantly. And it was true. She would feel better soon, much better. In fact, in a while, she wouldn't feel anything at all. 

Hiiro took a minute to look her over. She seemed a little green around the edges, but other than that, unaffected. Her eyes were still filled with tears, but they were being successfully blinked back by her lashes. 

"Are we still on for the library?" He finally asked her.

"I'm sorry. I have to get home. I have some business to attend to." She told him with almost a happy tone. He looked harder. She seemed happier… there was something wrong with this picture though, he had a gut instinct. 

"I'll walk you home then. Woul…"

"No. I'm sorry Hiiro, but not today, alright? I'm not an invalid, I can get home by myself sometimes." She gave him the brush off. Then, as quickly as she could, she turned and speed out the school doors, hoping he wouldn't follow. 

Hiiro was slightly stunned she would brush him off in such a manner; she had never done it before. But then again, he had never seen her run out of a class before. Or cry before either, for that matter. Maybe he should just let her go, just this once…

)(

As soon as Serena got home, she checked for her parents. No one. Good. Maybe those drunk and drugged parents of hers would stay away long enough. Maybe. She prayed. 

Quickly slipping off her shoes and placing her backpack down near her desk, she let her hair fall completely free and stripped to her bra and underwear. Stepping into the kitchen, she grabbed an apple and a knife. 

Finally ready, she walked to her bathroom, sat down in the bathtub, and whipped out the knife. Her heart was beating a thousand miles an hour, but she knew it had to be done. She had to correct the mistake the angels had made when they had cursed her mother with pregnancy. Setting the apple down, she held the gleaming knife up to her eyes. The bright light shone off the rust, dull silver blade. 

"Now I lay me down to sleep…" She began to pray as she slowly slit her left wrist.

"I pray the Lord my soul to keep…" She slit her second wrist.

"And if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take." With her finally words, Serena placed the knife down next to the apple and let her body relax. She was finally going to find peace, she was finally going to be able to rest.

)(

Whether it was cold or not, she could not tell. What she did know was that it was loud, so very loud. And the voices, there were so many. There was a bright light, like she had always heard tell of, yet she could see the light fixture it came from. Beeping, loud beeps, soft beeps, and softer still beeps reached her ears. She heard the soft blaring noise of sirens as well. Her wrists hurt. Her vision was blurry. Her head swam. 

Vaguely, as if in a slow motion dream, she took in the hustle of women in white uniforms and men in white. She saw one man taking her blood pressure. It hurt. She didn't want the pain. No, not the physical pain, she didn't mid that so much as the dull and throbbing ache that filled her empty heart. She had tried to stop the pain by stopping her life. But what, who, had stopped the end?

Now her vision was coming back into focus, and she could see the needles that had been stuck under her skin. She saw the IV, and the white cloth wraps around her wrists. The doctors seemed over zealous to have their 'patient' awake, and they poked and prodded her with questions. Amidst it all, she noticed a dark form hiding in the shadows. The form shifted and she caught a glimpse of the face. But she hadn't need it to know who it was. Hiiro. And he was beginning to make a move towards her as well. He could be intimidating when he wanted to be, and now was most definitely one of those times…

"Leave her alone." He told the doctors and nurses.

"Mr. Yui, she attempted suicide. I believe we have a right to…"

"Leave. Her. Alone. Now." He was losing patience with these people.

"Mr. Yui…" 

"Leave." Hiiro pulled a gun out and held it directly aiming for them. They backed up and without so much as another word left. Then he turned to her. Serena gulped. Since when did he have a gun? Or know how to use one?

"Serena…" His voice became hoarse. Ten minutes after she had left he had realized something was wrong and that he shouldn't have let her leave. He was going to go after her, but Duo had kept him busy with ridiculous questions about elephants until Hiiro had brought out his patented death glare and gun. But by the time he had gotten to Serena's apartment and found her, the floor was pooled with the crimson life liquid. He had called 911, but what had they done? Accused him. It wasn't until he had brought out his old Preventers ID that they had acquitted him of being guilty and begun listening to him. Now here he was, wanting to ask so many questions, but afraid of the answers. Or just afraid. 

"Hiiro. Why?" She asked him with tears of fire ready to spill over. 

"Why what?" He asked confused. 

"Why bother saving me? I was finally going to feel peace; finally going to be able to rest. Why did you have to take that away from me?" She let a single tear fall. It burned he skin, but she let it roll. He gently brushed it aside.

"I couldn't let you go. You were selfish in not thinking about what other people who depend upon you would think. What about Mina? Ami, Lita? Rei? Or Duo, Wufei, Trowa, Quatre, what about me Serena? You were selfish. And so was I. I know you want an escape, but I can't let you go. I can't, I want you here with me, so, you see, I can't let you kill yourself. Not yet." One of his own tears fell. Then another, and another. Soon he was crying. He had never thought he would cry. Ever. Perfect Soldiers didn't cry. 

Serena listened to Hiiro's speech and felt incredibly guilty. She hadn't thought of her friends. But she always thought of her friends. Why, for once, couldn't she be selfish? And how could Hiiro possibly need her? He was perfect, more so than herself because he needed no one, and yet everyone depended upon him and he was strong enough to deal with it. But when he started crying, she lost it. Her own tears began to spill and both of them sat for quite a while, just crying. She couldn't do it, she just couldn't. Ripping the IV's and tubes off of her body, and ran.*


	10. Lost and Found

Chapter Eight: Lost and Found Victoria J. Draeger Normal Victoria J. Draeger 1 1 2001-10-29T05:05:00Z 2001-10-29T05:06:00Z 6 2171 12380 Zero One Ink. 103 24 15203 9.2511 0 0 

Chapter Eight: Lost and Found

*She had run directly out of the hospital. It didn't matter if she was healthy or not. She just couldn't deal with any more today. No, no more. She looked up. Drops of rain sprinkled into her eyes and were blinked out along with salty tears. Where could she go? School had always been her safe haven away from home, but it was closed by now, and home didn't seem like it would be much better. She thought over what had pushed her over the edge to pull such a stunt as attempted suicide.

Over the last week her parents seemed a lot worse. Her father had been so passed out drunk every night that he couldn't recognize her. Her mother was hallucinating even off her drugs. Last night she had woken up to find her father on top of her, her clothes torn to shreds and his strewn about the floor. When she had gotten up, he had woken at the same time and pulled her back in with him. She had been trapped; there had been no place to go, and even if there had, she couldn't have gotten away to go there. 

So now where could she go? She kept running, letting her feet carry her where they might. She tried to ignore the ripping and drumming thunder and lightening. The next time she raised her head to look at her surroundings, she found the old library with its stone steps and massive stone carvings looming up before her in the pouring rain and blacked sky. Quickly running in, she stopped in the entrance only to ring out her hair before she moved on. 

Walking briskly to the back of the library, she found the old spiral staircase that lead to the second floor. Almost out of breath, she began to climb it. When she reached the top she slowed her pace. Walking to the very end of the rows of books she sat down in the corner on the cold floor and closed her weary eyes. She was so tired of life, so tired of trying to live as something she was not. Just so tired of feeling empty inside, tried of no one caring for her, tired of trying only to fail, tried of being used and then forgotten. She was just tired, so tired.

)(

Where could she have gone? Well, wherever she was, she had to be scared and sad. The rain had not let up for sometime, and he knew she was afraid of thunder and lightening. She wouldn't have left the hospital grounds… would she? He didn't think she would normally – but then is was definitely not normal. Hiiro stopped to think logically. If she couldn't be at school, and she wasn't at home, he was almost positive, then where would she go? The only other place she ever spent a good deal of time was the library, but that was all the way across town. She would have had to walk there in the pouring rain amidst the thunder and lightening. 

He stopped thinking and acted. Grabbing his umbrella, he rushed out to his car and ignited the engine. Quickly checking his mirrors, he sped out of the parking lot and ripped out along the road towards the Fourth Street Library. Pulling up right in front of the library, he stepped into the rain and climbed the giant stone steps. Now it was only a matter of where in the library. 

Going row by row, he assessed that she was nowhere. But she had to be here, he had a gut feeling she was. He was just missing something. Taking more time, he looked around the room. His eyes finally fell upon a small, almost hidden by the dark railing lining the room. There had to be a second floor. But where was the entrance?

"Can I help you Mr. Yui?" Hiiro turned to see his French teacher, Madame Cook behind him. "Before you even ask, I work here part time. Were you looking for something? A book perhaps?"

"The second floor entrance." Hiiro grunted.

"Ah, yes. The stairs are all the way in the far back of the shelves. Go straight back, you can't miss it." She told him smiling. Then it faded and confusion took over her expression. "But what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class?" 

"Cancelled." He gave her one last nod and walked off towards the back of the building. Soon he found the stairs and climbed them. This library was larger than he had originally thought. Scanning the rows of bookshelves, he came to the last one and just about gave up hope. She wasn't there. She had to be! He knew she was somewhere.

Just as he was heading back towards the stairs, he caught a glimpse of something moving. Had he missed her? Walking all the way back, his heart pounded at the sight of a pale, wet, and frail Serena sleeping huddled against the corner of the two walls. Bending down, he picked up her icy and dripping-wet form and began climbing down the steps. 

"Did you find what you were looking for Mr. Yui?" He heard a voice ask him just as he was about to leave the building. As he turned around with Serena in his arms, the voice gave a small gasp.

"Yes." Hiiro answered her. 

"What happened to her? Her face… it's black and blue! And swollen! And she's dripping water everywhere!" Madame Cook could hardly believe that one of her students like well-adjusted Serena would have such a huge problem.

"What happened? I know. But she herself won't tell me." Hiiro told the teacher. There was something about the older French woman that made him trust her confidence. Maybe it was the fact that she was always very nice and understanding of Serena. Well, whatever it was, it didn't matter at the moment.

"Where are you taking her? Home I hope. Her parents…"

"Are responsible for her appearance." He snorted his complete disapproval of their behavior. 

"Her, her own parents did this to her?" The French teacher was shocked. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever imagined Serena, of all people, would have problems at home. She was always so bright and cheerful and attentive in both class and her homework. How could she have this many problems? 

"Yes. She denies it, but…" he let off. Looking down at her, he decided he had better get her home. Madame Cook must have noticed it, because she stopped him by holding out a blanket form the library couch.

"Before you go, put this around her. It should at least keep her a little warmer on your trip home." Hiiro accepted the blanket and wrapped Serena in it. Nodding a goodbye, he turned and walked out the door and down the angel carved steps towards his car.

)( 

The feeling was new. For the first time in her life, when she woke from sleep, she found herself feeling warm and comfortable. But her parents would never make her feel this way, so how was it possible? And where was she? The last thing she remembered was laying on the floor in the library. As her eyes fluttered open and scanned her surroundings, she found herself lying on a bed covered with a giant black comforter. She was toasty warm. Her wet clothes had been replaced with a giant white men's dress shirt, and her hair was completely down. 

The room it's self was simple. A desk across from the bed, a dresser on the far wall, and a table on the left side of the bed. No posters, and no knickknacks, nothing save a laptop on the desk, a clock on the table next to her, and a picture… a picture! Picking it up, she saw five boys, each in front of a giant machine. She recognized Hiiro and his friends as the boys in the picture… so he had found her… and the machines looked familiar somehow, she just couldn't place them.

"That was taken a year and a half ago during the war." Her head flipped up and saw the silhouette of a well-built youth in the door. 

"I recognize you and your friends, and the machines look familiar too. Where was it taken?" She asked him.

"On L1. That was right after we had defeated the White Fang. The machines are the Gundam Mobil Suits." He paused, waiting for her reaction.

"The Gundams? You knew the pilots to the Gundams?" She asked incredulously. 

"You know them too. Wufei, Quatre, Trowa, Duo, and I." He moved in closer towards her.

"You mean, you, you're a Gundam pilot? But I was told the pilots were mean, old men! You're my age." She said in a near whisper.

"Disregard what you heard. Rumors are nasty things that ask for trouble. You know us, are we mean, old men?" He smirked.

"No, but…" She stopped and sat in silence, just thinking about the new information she had just learned. It was quite a mouthful. Suddenly it all made sense. The reason the boys were always together. They knew each other thoroughly. They lived together, and they had the same look in their eyes- the look of someone who had seen, done, and dealt with much in their short years of life.

"Serena. Do I scare you?" Hiiro asked her. He himself was frightened that she would now shy away from him more than ever. And he still had yet to have all of his questions answered.

"No." He barely heard her. Looking up, he drank in the sight of her. Her now dry wind-blown hair poured down her back in streams of gold and silver. Bruises that were finally beginning to fade were almost invisible under her heavy makeup. Flushed cheeks, ruddy lips slightly parted gave her a wild and tousled appearance. Her blue eyes, once so full of life, now barely glistened with any emotion at all. She was no longer the little girl he had taken her for when they had met, instead a troubled woman who had been broken in spirit. Why had he let this go so far? He had to know more.

"Why did you run?" He asked her in a subdued tone.

"It…" She had to stop and think about this. Why had she? Because she couldn't handle it. The pressure had risen to the extreme. There was no way she could have dealt with it, and then the tears… they had hurt; burned, stung. She needed him to be strong, and he had cried too. What was she supposed to tell him? That she needed him? That she wanted to be with him? That she cared for him? Did she? No more. No, no more. She was going to stop running here and now.

"I ran. Because… I couldn't handle it. I don't know." She shook her head. Even now that she had decided she wanted to tell him the truth, she couldn't do it. Why was so hard?

"Is that the same reason you tried to kill yourself? Serena. You needed help. Why didn't you tell someone? A teacher? Your friends? Me? Why didn't you tell me? We've been working on this project for over three weeks now. I see you everyday all day. Did you not think I would understand?" He didn't yell, but used a monotone intonation that made him sound dark. He watched as she shuddered and tears began to shimmer with in her eyes. Trying to comfort her, he wrapped his arms around her shaking form. 

He was holding her? Why? But he was so warm, and she felt so safe in his arms. Could she really trust him the way he said she could? She wasn't sure, but she did know that she was scared. Not of him, but of the male species. She had had so many bad run in's with jerks, creeps that wanted to take advantage of her. The only reason she didn't pull back was because he had always treated her well, so she at least knew that on some level he would never intentionally harm her. 

"Hiiro. I'm scared. Not of you. But I'm scared. I tried so hard to ignore it. I really did. I tried to move on, but it's so hard… I'm scared. I… I can't do it anymore. I just wanted to rest. I'm so tried of being scared that I just thought… I just thought I would end it all. I mean, it's sound in reason… Just, I was selfish. I didn't think you or anyone would care…"

"Not care?"

"What's one more insignificant life to the rest of the world? The war has already ended so many…"

"And do you think that those people wanted to die? There's a difference. Serena, those soldiers gave their lives so the others they believed in, the others they loved, would have what they believed would be a better life. You want to end yours because you can't handle the pressure alone. Serena, no one can handle the pressure alone."

"But I don't want to burden anyone else. They've already got so much to worry about, plus my problems? Where's the fairness, the justice in that?"

"Everyone builds off of someone else's problems. That is human nature. That is how it is supposed to be."

"But…"

"Listen. During the war, there was a major battle. It was the same one I met the other pilots. In it, it was assumed that there was no other chance for us to live, and at that time I had been taught that if there was no chance in battle, I was to destroy everything. The suit, the knowledge, myself. And I did it. I did it because I thought I couldn't handle the problem and that there was no other way out. But I survived the explosion. When I woke, I was with Trowa in his circus trailer with his girlfriend. And Trowa told me I had been out for three months. A lot had happened within those three months. Too much. And if I had died then, I would never have known what I had missed. It's the same as yourself. If you had died, think of what you would miss. You would miss life. Don't think killing yourself is the only option, because it most certainly is not." Hiiro waited to what effect his story would have upon her.

She sat quietly listening to his story. So she wasn't the only one. He knew. He knew what it felt like to be abused… she could hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes when he had mentioned he had been trained to kill himself if necessary. He knew how it felt to think there was no other option besides death. He knew. She wasn't alone. She wasn't alone. But fear still plagued her. And she still felt as if everything was meaningless. But she would not show him. It wouldn't be fair to shove her problems all onto him; he had enough to worry about. She would just keep them in a little longer; it wasn't like she couldn't control herself…

"Hiiro. Thank you." A cheesy and fake smile crossed her delicate but bruised features.

"Huh?" He was just a bit shocked. She understood? She was still hiding something…he knew, he could tell. She was still hiding from her demons… well, he would let her hide just a bit longer, she needed to tell him herself, he wasn't going to force her. 

"I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you for helping me as much as you have." She told him. Well, it was true; she would never be able to repay him for as much as he had helped her.

"That's how you should have been all along. Serena… I, err, are you sure your feeling better?" He asked her. He wanted her to tell him. For her to shout out what she was hiding. He cared for her…. Not just lust, but he valued her friendship, her warmth, the energy she brought him, the inspiration she instilled within his soul, and her beauty. He loved it all, every little piece of her. Love? But she needed to let it go; to let go of the past and move on, and she couldn't do it hiding the way she was.

"Hiiro? I'm sure I feel better. Hiiro. I, I," How was she going to do this? She had to get it off her chest. But she couldn't. She took a deep breath and sighed. "Hiiro?" He looked at her questioningly. She leaned forward and hugged him. As her chilly arms surrounded him, he reached up and hugged her back. As she began to pull away, she quickly dipped her head back towards his and captured his lips in a chaste kiss. He could take it or leave it as he pleased. *


	11. A New Home?

Chapter Nine: A New Home Victoria J. Draeger Normal Victoria J. Draeger 1 1 2001-10-29T05:04:00Z 2001-10-29T05:05:00Z 6 2119 12083 Zero One Ink. 100 24 14838 9.2511 0 0 

Chapter Nine: A New Home?

*His head was spinning. He groaned and deepened the kiss. This was no small matter anymore. Of course, somewhere in the back of his brain the signals reached him and he realized what was really happening, but he didn't care anymore. Soft lips crushed his for only a brief minute before they pulled away. His wide-open eyes shut, then blinked and tried hopelessly to refocus on her face. When he did he wished he hadn't. 

A light blush graced her pale rain streaked face. His gaze couldn't lift from her eyes. They drew him in, drowning him within their sorrow-filled depths. They quivered with tears and fear. He let his emotions completely override the rest of his senses, figuring they would know what was best. He saw his own hand reach up and run through her hair. Then it traced the contour of her porcelain face, and stooped under her chin. It pulled her in closer towards him as he tried to recreate the incredibly sensation he had felt just a mere minute ago.

As his warm hand fell against her face, she shivered. The difference was just symbolic of the difference between the two. While he was warm and full of life and passion, she felt cold and dead inside. At least, she used to. Now when she found herself around him, she noticed she too, felt more alive; she actually cared for things whole-heartedly while he was near. She acquiesced when he pulled her toward him. She wanted to forget everything, to just escape reality, and she had just found the perfect hideout.

When his lips brushed hers, she melted. He teased her with tiny butterfly pecks down her cheek from her eyes. Finally, he returned to taunt her lips with more chaste kisses. She wanted more of his spirit, his life force, so she deepened the kiss. Soon she needed air, but was unwilling to let him go. She wanted to be in her dream world so badly…

He had to break the kiss. Pulling his lips away from hers, he rested his forehead against hers and breathed heavily, a light smile playing on his lips. She was so sweet. And to think that this innocent angel was being abused. She was too perfect, to pure and inexperienced to have been used in such a rough manner.

She stared at him, running one hand through his thick, silky, chocolate locks. He was breathing heavily from their kissing, and his endless eyes sparked with such fervor that she could not place any rational thought to how they could hold so much. Serena felt his hot breath against her lips and thirsted for more still. Were they both getting too caught up in the heat of the moment? What would happen the next day? For some strange reason she cared if Hiiro hated her. She couldn't careless if her parents hated her, if her chem. teacher despised her, but it killed her inside the very core of her being to think he would push her away. Why?

Hiiro wondered along much of the same lines. Was Serena only turning to him out of desperation to feel wanted, loved; or was she serious in her feelings for him? He didn't think he could withstand it if she was only toying with his heart. Then again, this was Serena. She wasn't capable of causing such unimaginable pain consciously, he was sure of that much. He just had to know, which was it?

"Serena…"

"Hiiro…" The began simultaneously. Both backed off in order to allow the other to speak what was on their minds, and then the room fell to silence once more. Well, someone had to break the silence sometime.

"Hiiro." Serena gave out first. "I'm sorry." His heart fell.

"I, well, I… why did you kiss me first?" She blushed. Now what was she supposed to say?

"Well, I." 'Here goes nothing!' she thought. "I kissed you like that because I wanted to thank you. But then, Stars, I don't know. It was like a drug. You're awful addicting, you know? But I don't know. I don't want you to think I only kissed you because I wanted to escape. There's something else. I just am not sure, and I don't want to ruin our friendship with whatever it is." She crossed her fingers and held her breath, hoping he didn't push her away in disgust. 

"Now I know why you're one of the smartest girls in school. You figured out a way to express your feelings without being definite. I like it. Maybe I'll try it…" He smirked. Just like he had feared… she had only come to him through desperation. But she had said she didn't want to harm him because there was something else. That was start. He saw her confused frown and couldn't contain himself any longer. Grabbing the back of her head, he pulled her in closer to him and kissed her, good, long, and hard.

She nearly had a heart attack when his lips met hers again. In a frenzy unknown to her before, she hungrily kissed him back in a dizzying set of kisses. Why she kept kissing him, she didn't know. Maybe if he was the one doing the kissing it meant that if she did it, it wouldn't ruin their friendship either. Soon the kisses became longer, more drawn out, and included more than just lips. She ran her hands up and through his hair while his arms trailed up and down her back, hips, and shoulders, pressing her body in closer to his own. 

"Hiiro! Hiiro are you in here?" A worried voice rang through the apartment. Quatre.

"Damn." Hiiro swore as he was forced to break his activities. Serena moaned slightly; she was a little frizzled at having to give up the make-out session.

"Hey, Hiiro-man! Come on dude! Don't be like this, there's an emergency!" Another voice rang out. Duo. Hiiro sighed. But if there was an emergency… He stood from his position on the bed and walked to the door, unlocking and opening it to respond.

"I'm here. What's the emergency?" He stood monotonously.

"Serena was missing, and then the hospital called on Quatre's cell phone to say she had been in the hospital for blood loss and that she was suicidal, and that she had run away! We have to find her, the girls are going nuts, even Lita!" Duo cried out, almost all the information in one breath as fast as he could. Hiiro took in all the information smirking on the inside. 

"Hey Hiiro?" A small voice filtered through the room. The figure that owned the voice stepped into the light and Quatre and Duo gasped. "If Lita and the girls are so worried, maybe I had better let them know I'm alright…" There, in the doorway to Hiiro's room, right behind him, stood the missing Serena!

"Serena! You're alright! You're here! In Hiiro's room! And in a… men's dress shirt? Whoa, this is a strange twist of events…" Duo remarked. Serena looked down at what she was wearing, and all three boys could see the blush that graced her white and bruised cheeks. 

"You know where the phone is. I'll deal with them." Hiiro nodded his head in his comrade's direction. Duo and Quatre both had the feeling they were missing something here…Serena stepped from behind him and wobbled slightly. Hiiro reached forward and picked her up, princess style. Her blush grew deeper. He placed her down on the couch in his living room, he handed her the phone. 

"Thanks." Taking the receiver from his hand, she felt almost giddy when their hands brushed and the electricity shot through her spine. What were these new feelings? She had never felt so alive and happy with anyone else. She was almost on the verge of feeling relaxed for a change. 

"Hnn. Duo, Quatre, kitchen." He gave a glance that said 'don't worry, your secret is safe' and then left her to call her friends. Hiiro would fix everything.

)(

"So Hiiro? How'd she get here?" Duo asked him, winking all the while.

"Hnn." Hiiro knew he should tell his friends what was going incase he should need help watching her later, but he didn't want to betray her trust when he was on such shaky grounds.

"Hiiro, you know if it is as bad as her being in the hospital we have the right to know too. She's our friend as well, and we don't want to see her get hurt either." Quatre told him gently. Huh. Quatre, always the voice of reason.

"Look. There was an incident in class today. She ran out, and when I found her in her apartment, she had slit her wrists. The ambulance took her to the hospital, but she ran away when she woke. I found her and brought her here."

"Oh my…" Duo was in slight shock. Nice, happy Serena had attempted suicide? But she had shown no signs, no unhappiness, nothing but joy.

"Is she alright?" Quatre asked in a whisper, the same thoughts running through his head. 

"Somewhat. There's more. She's been abused. Her own parents hit her constantly, and she's almost anorexic because she eats so little." Hiiro told them, tears coming to his eyes as he spoke. Knowing it and repeating the knowledge out loud were two different things. It hurt physically to tell his friends the pains she went through.

"She's staying here from now on." Duo said, slamming his fist down on the table.

"I agree. We are not sending her home." Quatre nodded.

"She stays with me." Hiiro told them, sending his infamous death glare to his opposers. No one dared even think it. Then he thought of something else.

"She doesn't trust us. Any of us. Nor does she trust the your girlfriends anymore. She trusts no one. If she found out I told you all of this, she would lose whatever trust in us she has. Do not tell her I told you what happened. Clear?" Both Quatre and Duo nodded in consent, understanding why instantly.

)(

"Ami? Hi, it's me, Serena." She spoke over the phone.

"Serena? Oh my Lord! How are you? Are you alright? Where are you? Do you need help?" Came the worried girl's voice over the phone.

"I'm fine. I'm with Hiiro, Quatre, and Duo right now in their apartment. I'm just really tired." She told her friends, hoping they wouldn't want to come by and see her.

"Serena? Is that you meatball head?" Rei had confiscated the phone from Ami's hands.

"Hey pyro. Look, I'm perfect, just tired. I'm at the guys, and I'm going to crash here the night."

"Maybe we should come over there to make sure you're al…" Rei started.

"I'm honestly fine. Don't come over, I don't look so nice. You know, the hair, clothes, face and makeup aren't nice. Would want you to catch me with blackmail evidence…" She tried to joke. It worked, cause she could hear the laughter of all of her friends on the other side of the line.

"Alright, if you're sure you feel better…" Lita started.

"Positive. I'll send Duo out so you can all finish your date, ok?" She told her.

"Sounds good girl!" Lita cried.

"Hey Serena! Tell Quatre to get his butt in gear too, alright?" Mina came on next.

"You got it V-babe! Your wish is my command!" She tried to sound happy. It was hard… she was so tired… "I have to go, I'm about to fall asleep. See you tomorrow!" Before she could hear them say bye, she hung up the phone. Just then the boys walked back into the room.

"Was that the girls?" Duo asked her, cheerful smile pasted on his face.

"Yup. They say, and I quote: "get your butts in gear!" That means they want to see you soon, so you'd better go to them. 

"We did kind of leave them high and dry, didn't we Quatre?" Duo scratched his head, feeling a little guilty. Quatre smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, we did. We'd better get going then." 

"You alright here Hiiro?" Duo asked him.

"Hnn." 

"Ok then, let's move it out!" And with that, Duo and Quatre left through the door. As they left, Hiiro heard a giant yawn coming from Serena. 

"Tired?" Yeah. But I don't want to go home tonight. My parents, they'll hi… err, they'll be mad with me. Can I stay here?" So she still wouldn't tell him that her parents hit her.

"Of course. In fact, I want you to live here from now on." 

"What?" She was in disbelief. Why?

"I want to know that you're safe." He told her bluntly.

"But I don't want to impose…"

"Serena. I've asked you to stay. You wouldn't be imposing."

"My parents…"

"Screw them. Serena. Stay here, with me. I want to help protect you. Please?" This was a new low for the Perfect Soldier… begging a girl to stay with him… scratch that, that came out wrong.

"Protect me from what?" She didn't want him to know what went on at home.

"Serena. Please. I won't force you, but please, just tell me what happens every night when you go home. Do your parents hug you? Do they make you dinner and congratulate you on getting an A on a test? Do they tuck you in and sing you songs? Or help with your homework? Do they?" Her head hung low. Even though she knew he had known something was going on, it hurt to think he had found out her embarrassing little secret. She wondered just how much he did know about her situation…

"Hiiro, I'm really tired. Can you please just let this go?" She begged him. He sighed. What else could he do? And besides, it had been such a long day that he figured he wouldn't push it anymore tonight.

"Fine. Come on, I'll show you where you'll be sleeping."

"Lead the way." She said tiredly. Then she stood and stumbled after him. Following him down a familiar corridor, she found herself entering the same room as she had been in when she had woken up. 

"Hiiro, isn't this your room?" She asked him skeptically.

"Our room. I'm the only one without a roommate; therefore you are bunking with me." He said without emotion in his voice. It was hard to train the emotion out of it, just the thought of her sleeping in the same room as him made him want to… no. He would not even think of starting this now. It was too late, both of them were physically and mentally drained for the day, he couldn't start this now. It wouldn't be fair to either of them.

"Oh. Um, don't you feel strange sharing a room with a girl?" She asked him, slightly blushing and now fully awake.

"No. As a soldier I was taught to ignore all 'lustful' desires." Ha balked at what he had just said. How dumb was he? 

"Oh really?" She smirked. This was going to be fun…

"Hnn. Go to bed." He told her sternly. She simply giggled as she pulled back the covers to the bed she had been in before. 

"Where will you sleep?" She asked him.

"In the bed next to this one." She looked, and, indeed, there was another bed next to the one she lay upon. Yawning, she snuggled deep into her new covers and sighed. While Hiiro did push her to tell him some things, he was a good friend through and through. So why wasn't she satisfied with that? She tired to focus on her thoughts, but she only drifted deeper into that land of Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod. 

As he watched her drift away to sleep, he kissed her forehead. Such an angel deserved the rest she was final going to get. He pulled his own shirt over his head and rustled through his drawers to find pair of old sweat pants to sleep in. changing quickly in the bathroom, he too, slipped under hiss covers and fell into a deep sleep.*


	12. Vidicated Justice

Chapter Ten: Vindicated Justice Victoria J. Draeger Normal Victoria J. Draeger 1 0 2001-10-30T04:12:00Z 2001-10-30T04:12:00Z 8 2518 14354 Zero One Ink. 119 28 17627 9.2511 0 0 

Chapter Ten: Vindicated Justice

*"No! No! Please don't! No! Stop! Don't touch me! Urahh!!" He shot up from his peaceful rest to find Serena fighting invisible enemies. She was kicking her covers off the bed and slamming her fists down onto the mattress below her sweat covered and convulsing body. His door was thrown open by his friends as all four of them stared into the room at what was happening.

"It's alright, she's dreaming. I'll take care of it. Go back to sleep." He told his friends. They looked at him dubiously, then turned and shut the door behind them. They didn't want to argue; it was too late. Hiiro got up and moved to the side of Serena's bed. Shaking her gently, she shot up in bed, eyes and mouth wide open and breathing heavily.

"Serena?" He called to her through her heavy panting. "Serena, calm down, it was just a dream. It wasn't real. Relax, you're here, safe with me."

"Hiiro?" She was barely able to whisper. 

"Yeah, it's me."

"Oh Stars… oh stars… oh!" She cried in a louder and more rasping voice. 

"What happened? What did you dream?" He probed her.

"I… I… I dreamt He came… oh stars! I dreamt He came and you weren't here- no one was here- and he was so mad! He took his strap and he started, oh stars!" She broke down sobbing violently. She covered her face with her hands and just bawled her heart out. 

Not knowing what else he could do, Hiiro pulled her into his chest and held her while shed cried. He himself felt tears welling up in his own eyes. The difference between hers and his was that his were for her, and hers were for fear. He wondered who 'He' was. Taking that he already knew about her home life, she assumed 'He' was her father. The strap she described stumped him. Well, he wanted to start with something he knew…

"Serena, your father can't hurt you. You're safe here with me. He can't get you. And if he comes, I'll get rid of him." He vowed. It did no good.

"You don't understand! He's too strong! And you weren't here! Stars, you weren't here Hiiro!"

"But I'll be here when he really does come." He promised her.

"How do you know? How do I know? You could leave me! You could just get up and walk away, leaving me all alone like in my dream! Leave me alone! I can't trust you! I can't trust anybody!" She drew away from him like her with death himself. She couldn't let anybody in, she couldn't tell anybody. If she did, they would use it against her. They would hate her! No, she couldn't! 

"I'm not going to leave you!" His voice rose with each sentence he said to her. How could he make her understand that he loved her? That he would never leave her? Ever!

"No! No! You will! You will just like in my dream! I have to finish this once and for all!" She screamed in a blind rage. She knew what she was going to do. She had the answer now. It was all so clear, so crystal clear as to what she had to do. Bolting from her bed and not stopping for shoes, pants, or any other articles of clothing she might need to walk around on the streets at midnight, she ran out of the apartment, leaving Hiiro stunned behind her. 

She was gone. Shit! She was gone! She would probably try something just as stupid as what she had tried earlier the day before. He had to stop her! Pulling on a pair of jeans and a white tank top, he grabbed his black leather jacket and raced out the door behind her. Where was she going though? He took a wild guess and hoped he was right. Racing down the street, he never even turned around when he heard his friends asking where he was going or what was happening, he just ran.

)(

Up the darkened stairs and through the dirty door she burst. The room radiated a foul stench; her dried blood had left the smell of death and decay behind as a marker of her insanity. But the smell didn't matter. She ran directly towards the kitchen, towards the refrigerator, and took from the very back of the frig a cold object. Running her hand lightly over it, she shivered in delight. It would end here and now. No more running, no more being afraid, no more forgiveness. It was time. She began a search for them. No more, it would end tonight. Voices came from their bedroom.

"Here the little whore is." A loud and dark shout rained down upon her sensitive ears. "Where've you been bitch? Come here you dirty little tramp!" Her father walked out of his bedroom. Behind him was her mother.

"Hey whatever your name is! Girl! You left a mess on the floor in the bathroom! Didn't I potty train you bitch? What the hell did you go and mess on the floor for? Trashy slut! You out sleeping around again? You better be getting paid at the least. Support you're parents, we're the ones who raised you good- for- nothing little hoe! You should give us some fucking respect bitch!" Her mother screamed.

"Shut up bitch! I'll handle her!" He father barked at her mother.

"You! Ha! You couldn't handle a cat! You're just as bad as her, pimping about those fucked up bars!" 

"Whore! I just told you to shut up!" Her father backhanded her mother against the wall.

"Stop it." Her voice was quiet. They ignored her as they continued to fight and more violence was used. She would end this here. "Stop it!" She screamed as loudly as she could. 

"Bitch! Haven't I taught you-" Her father began only to be cut off.

"You haven't taught me shit! You haven't taught me shit! I've taught myself everything I know! I learned how to eat solid food when I was only one year old! I dressed myself when I was two, and I tied my shoes when I was two and a half. I walk to school and I walk home. I get straight A's, I do my chores, I'm part of the school gym team. I put you in bed when you pass out, I let you beat me, I let you fucking rape me! You've raped your own fucking daughter! Aren't you proud you son of a bitch? You bastard of a mother? Aren't you proud parents? Huh?" She ranted, eyes red with rage and hatred. She took out her secret weapon. The cool metal glinted in the flickering lights of the apartment. 

"Now Se… Se… Damn." Her mother started.

"Serena! My name is Serena! I'm your own child! You flesh and blood! I live with you! And you can't remember my name! Some parents. You know I tried to kill myself? Because of you! Well no more! You can't push me around anymore! I've had it!" She took the safety off the silver handgun and took aim.

"Serena! Of course! Serena baby! I knew that! We both did! Come on baby! Put that gun down honey! Let's talk about this calmly sweetheart." Her mother pushed her.

"Your mother's right. Come on Serena! You know we love you! We would never do anything to hurt you on purpose! Never! Come on baby!" Her father cooed. Serena faltered. They loved her? She had always wished, always prayed, always dreamed of her parents loving her. She would do anything for their praise, for them to just once ask her how school was, even if they didn't stay to listen to her answer. And now they said they loved her! Her dream come true! 

"Momma? Papa?" Her voice was small and meek.

"Yes baby, it's us honey." Her mother sweet-talked her. Serena clicked the safety back on the gun and dropped it. 

"Momma!" she ran towards her mother and was received by cold arms encircling her. She didn't see her father dive for the gun after she dropped it. What she did feel was her mother pushing her out of the hug in pure disgust.

"Momma?" She whispered.

" You ever call me that again and I swear to hell I'll hit you so hard you won't wake up ever!" Her mother screamed at her. Serena drew back in fear of the hatred in her mother's voice.

"How dare you think you can hold us hostage! Why I ought to… no, I got a better idea! Bitch!" Her father roared and punched her. She stumbled backwards into the wall and saw a dark shadow loom over her. All she knew was pain as he began to hit her. He punched her stomach, her chest, slapped her face, kicked at her, and spat on her. Suddenly a gun was pointed at her.

"Let me just get rid of her! She's a fucking annoying bugger!" Her mother screamed. 

"No! I want to have my fun with her first!" Her father bellowed.

"We should just get it done now!" Her mother insisted. While her parents fought, Serena collected herself and saw the gun in her mother's hand. Would they say they loved her again if she held it at them? She wanted them to love her so badly… She lunged for the gun and pulled her mother down with her. A brief struggle and Serena came out victorious. Though she had taken a bad beating, her stamina from gymnastics won over her mother's drugged and permanently screwed body. She stood and held the gun proudly pointing at her parents.

"I win! Momma! Papa! I win! Tell me you love me! Now that I have the gun, are you proud? I've got it! I've won! Say you're proud! Love me momma! Love me papa!"

"We love you Serena!" They cried over and over, begging her to put the gun back down.

"Don't listen to them Serena." A dark voice wafted form the shadows. "They'll say anything to make you put the gun down."

"But they said they loved me Hiiro! They love me when I have the gun! They love me!" She cried, tears streaming down her face. Her body silently shuddered, and convulsed as she cried.

"They don't love you Serena. They'll hurt you once you don't have the gun." Hiiro's voice came in firm and even.

"But they said they love me!" Serena told him, imploring him to understand.

"They don't. They don't know how to love anything but themselves. Hell, they can't even love that. Serena, they're dangerous people that can't love. It isn't in their hearts."

"They said…"

"Do you really believe them? After all they've done to you? They have black hearts. Yours is too pure. Don't let them corrupt you anymore." He stepped forward and held out his hand. She hung her head.

"But I want them to love me." She told him quietly.

"Why? Why are they so important to you?" He asked her, just as quietly.

"They're my parents. I just want them to love me. I want someone to love me! Anyone!" She screamed out. "Hell! I know you're right. I know it. But I can't accept it! I want to feel love! I don't want to feel so empty anymore. I just want… I want to feel safe, cared for, needed, important. I'm tired of being used and then shoved in a corner; or brushed aside when someone else comes along. I just want the emptiness, the loneliness, the pain in my heart to go away. Please. Hiiro, make it go away." Her screaming had climaxed and then gone done to nothing but a whisper. She dropped the gun. "I need help. I need an angel. I need faith, I need a miracle…" She finished. Turning her back to all three people that occupied the room, she simply walked out as smoothly as she had walked in. Looking out the window, Hiiro saw her walk down the street, still only clothed in his white dress shirt. He turned to her parents and gave them a good, long, and hard look. 

"If you ever so much as look at her again, I swear by God I will kill you. You've destroyed a beautiful, caring, charming young woman. You ought to be killed, turned into the authorities. You ought to have some form of punishment for the intolerable sins you've committed. You ought to." He was desperately trying to hold back the rage he was overwhelmed with at that moment. "But Serena wouldn't allow it. So this is my warning. Touch her, talk to her, look at her, and so help me God I will slit your throats in such a painful way you'll wish you were already in hell, which by the way, is where you will be going after you die." Giving them one last death glare, he turned on his heels and abruptly left the scene. 

She had said she needed an angel. She needed faith, and a miracle. Where did one go to find… he knew. He knew where she was. Picking up he pace as he went, he cursed himself for forgetting he owned a car. Finally he arrived at his destination.

Running up the giant stone steps in the rain, he looked up. Above him loomed giant carvings of gargoyles and angels. As he entered the giant wooden doors, he slowed his pace. Walking down the center aisle of the church, he took in the scene. 

It was perhaps the single most beautiful church he had ever entered. The wooden pews were almost empty; only a few devout men and women speckled them. There was an older priest garbed in a plain black robe approaching him, and it made him feel as if he had stepped into a time warp. 

"Good evening my son. Is there a way the word of our Father might warm your soul upon this dreary evening?" The priest asked him kindly.

"I'm looking for a girl. She was wearing a white men's dress shirt and nothing else. Have you seen her?" Hiiro asked the priest, somewhat calmed by the entire atmosphere of the church.

"I have. I offered her a blanket, but she refused. She had been beaten something fierce. Might you know what happened?" The priest narrowed his eyes slightly. 

"Her parents happened. I need her. Where is she?" Hiiro practically begged the priest. The priest's eyes went wider for a moment, then shrank and he smiled a knowing smile.

"Your runaway angel is over by the candle corner." The priest pointed to a deepened corner near the alter. Hiiro could see a bright light illuminating the corner, but he could not see inside. 

"Thank you." He told the priest as he made his way back over towards Serena. He found he lighting one of the many candles that were set out on a table. Then she knelt on the cool tiled floor and bowed her head. He could see her hands clasped together and eyes closed as she prayed.

"What are the candles for?" He broke the silence. She flipped her head toward him, surprised. He always knew where to find her. 'It must have been a skill they taught him as a Gundam pilot.' She thought. 

"They're for prayers. I light a candle for each prayer I say." She told him gently.

"They're all lit. Did you light them all?" 

"Yes." She told him.

"What did you pray for Serena?" 

"For love. I want it all to go away Hiiro, all this emptiness. I just want some one to banish it. I want someone who will love me. I want… I want the unattainable feelings of safety, happiness, and wholeness. I don't want to be alone anymore." 

"You aren't. Serena, let me help you."

"How? How can you do that? Like I said, I've wished for the unattainable. Who could possibly love me? My own parents have defiled me beyond belief. My father raped me Hiiro, raped me! Who could possibly love someone as impure as me?"

"Because you're so sweet. Serena, you're kind, generous to a fault, always cheerful in school, smart, funny, fun to be around, absolutely breathtakingly beautiful, and the list goes on. If someone loves you only for your body, then they don't love you."

"You're just saying all of that. How could you possibly know?" A lone tear trickled down her cool and pale face. He bent in and softly kissed it away. Then leaning into her ear, she shivered as jolts of electricity shot through her. Her spine shivered and her heartbeat raced faster than ever before.

"Because. I love you." He whispered into her ear. "You're not alone anymore Serena. I want to help you, keep you safe. I want to make you happy and whole. Let me?" More tears trickled down her face. The feelings running through her head and heart were to jumbled to understand. She didn't know why. She didn't know how. She just knew. 

"Yes." She told him under her breath. Turning her face to look directly at his, her eyes were trapped by his gaze. She saw nothing but a shine of happiness. He too, had tears trickling down from his sapphire eyes. The endless and bottomless pits they had once been were spilling over full of love and joy, all for her. She gave a short laugh. 

He encircled her with his arms and pulled her onto his lap, holding her close; afraid that if he let go she would disappear into nothingness. He was no longer the only one who felt alone, the only one who had been abused, then only one searching for someone to love. There were two of him, and they had found each other. Pulling away from her hug, they looked into each other's eyes again. She leaned in and, mimicking his earlier movements, kissed his tears into oblivion. He too, laughed. Snaking his hands around to the back of her head, he brought her head back down closer to his and enticed her sweet lips with his tempting kisses. Their short and innocent kisses grew into more passionate ones, and soon enough they both found it was far too hot in the church for both of them to continue in their position. He stood and helped her to do the same. 

"We should get those bruises looked at." He told her gently, caressing her soft but discolored cheek. She leaned into his callous hands and drew from their warmth.

"I've had worse. They'll be fine, just as we will be." She smiled brightly at him. He smiled back, and quickly kissed her on the forehead. 

"We have school in three hours you know." She told him laughing.

"We won't be going today. You and I are stealing Quatre's credit card."

"Why? Won't he be mad?" She asked him confused and slightly concerned.

"You need some clothes. You can't go back home, and five guys don't exactly have any girl's clothing lying around. Well, Duo might, but…" He joked. It felt good to let his emotions out so easily. She, to, laughed when she heard his comment. Everything was going to be better. Everything would work out, now she was sure. The loneliness was gone, the only thing left of her battered life were memories, but they would be just like every other bad thing… they would fade with time.*


	13. All the Good Angels

Epilogue: All the Good Angels Victoria J. Draeger Normal Victoria J. Draeger 1 0 2001-10-30T04:13:00Z 2001-10-30T04:13:00Z 4 1154 6580 Zero One Ink. 54 13 8080 9.2511 0 0 

Epilogue: All the Good Angels

*Throughout the next three days she found herself busier than ever before. Hiiro had insisted that she not only tell her friends of what her parents had done, but what she herself had done. After she had told them, of course, a giant crying party was in order. All of them had cried and held each other. 

But it had been worth it. The crying had been a sort of release. Even though she had cried with Hiiro, it was different with her friends. Not only was she getting everything off her conscience, but she was able to feel comfortable doing it. The more times she admitted to the problems, the easier it became.

She had told Hiiro right off the bat that she would not go back to the hospital or to some physiologist for mental help, and he had been very supportive of her decision. Through it all he had stayed by her side, and now she was sure he wouldn't abandon her. Everything had worked out.

Now she lay on her bed in their room contemplating the events of the last few days. Moving in with the guys permanently had been easier than she had thought. Already they had slipped into a normal routine. Her friendship with her friends was twice as strong as before. She had begun putting on more weight now that she was eating good, well-rounded meals regularly. Her bruises were fading, the pain in her ribs was almost non-existent. School was easier than ever, and soon they would be turning in their chem. report. And her relationship with Hiiro was perfect, not a flaw could be found.

He watched her smiling contentedly while laying on her bed. She had changed in the last three days. Now she was happy, truly happy. She was the same bubbly blonde he had met his first day at school. She was still getting straight A's in all of her classes, but her life no longer revolved solely around her grades. She spent more time with him and her friends now. Her entire disposition and outlook upon life had switched to the most optimistic attitude he had ever had the luck of knowing. Even Duo and Quatre couldn't match her cheer and kindness. 

Of course, that could be just his heart talking. Since he had confessed in the church, he had let his emotions rule him completely. He was glad he had finally let himself go too. He hadn't known what he was missing. Now he, too, had more things in life than just the straight academics. He had joined the football team along with Duo and Trowa. Quatre and Wufei had decided to join the next season; they wanted more time to adjust to the new school. Adjust. Everyone had certainly done plenty of that since they had moved here. 

But it wasn't bad adjusting. All of his friends agreed, having Serena living with them was nice. She helped with the cooking, cleaning, and other chores just as they did. She helped brighten their day, and explained things about the area that they never would have known otherwise. It was fun and fresh. Life had a new quality about it, a tangy and refreshing sensation that endlessly washed over him, renewing him and the rest of his mundane world. He wanted to live now, and he had good reason to.

"Knock, knock." He said as he entered the room, startling her out of her own reverie.

"Hey."

"Hey." He countered.

"What's behind your back Mr. Yui?" She asked him smirking and looking innocent at the same time.

"Nothing Ms. Tsukino."

"Liar liar pants of fire hanging on a telephone wire." She sniggered and wiggled her finger back and forth in front of his face. He caught it with his free hand. Gingerly handling it, he examined it with the utmost interest. Then he brought to his mouth and softly kissed it. Shivers tingled down her spine as she melted when his lips touched her finger. He was so gentle with her, and what made it more incredible was the knowledge that he could be so much stronger but chose not to exert that force. Holding back her blush, she remembered her curiosity. Bringing her head close into his ear, she blew on it gently.

" What are you hiding from me?" She whispered. Her breath made his heart stop. How could she sound so damned seductive and innocent at the same time? However she did it, it killed him. He groaned in response and gave in to her.

"A surprise for you. Sit on your bed and I'll give it to you." She complied eagerly, clapping her hands and smiling the whole time. He loved surprising her… she always reacted so happy.

"Ok, I'm on the bed! What is it Hiiro? Come on! Tell me, please?" She begged him. He laughed his deep, throaty laugh and smile secretively.

"Alright Girl-Angel, you win." From behind his back he took a small cardboard box. Her eyes went wide, then she jumped up and hugged him.

"Oh! Thank you thank you thank you thank you! Chocolate!" She cried. Reaching for the box, he held it just outside of her grasp.

"Now, now. What makes you think this chocolate is for you? Or that I'll let you have it if it is? What if I decide to be mean and eat it all by myself?" She gasped.

"You wouldn't!"

"I might… It's going to take some persuasion here…" He gave her an evil smirk and held the chocolate higher. Her expression became one of defeat, but then slowly grew to one of devious planning…

"You want persuasion? You got it Yui. And everything that goes with it. After all, your idea of 'persuasion' is worth the high price of society." Her gaze locked his and she moved in with animalistic grace, backing him against the wall. At first, very slowly tempting her prey with small pecks on the soft and trembling lips; then slowly trailing his jaw line. He let out a low guttural moan. He loved this - she always had such a sadistically hypnotic power over him. He couldn't move. Not that he wanted too… Suddenly it ended. 

He opened the eyes he had closed somewhere along the line and looked around for her, full of a newly aroused hunger. He found her laying on her stomach across her bed, chocolates next to her, one already poised to be popped into her sensuous mouth. She winked darkly at him as her lips slowly wrapped around the small delicacy and worked their way over the sugary sweetness. He went mad.

"So you think that's enough Girl-Angel? I haven't been anywhere close to being persuaded yet." His voice was low and monotone, dark double meaning dripping from every word that spilled from his mouth. 

"Well then, you had better come here Hiiro… I'm sure I can find more than one way to persuade you…" She smiled evilly. He gulped. Now he was in for it. But he wanted it… Stepping in closer towards her, he leaned down, looming over her and blocking the poor lighting in the room. She reached up and pulled his head in for a kiss. The deep and passionate kiss lasted for over a minute, both completely immersed within the feelings the other was arousing within their soul. Sweet fire dripped through their veins as they sold their souls to each other, and with each passing second they stayed united, the hotter and more erotic the small gesture became. Both heard the other moan in their ecstasy and knew it had to end here if they were ever going to stop tonight.

Breaking the kiss, Hiiro sat on her on the bed and leaned against the wall behind it. She turned from her position and crawled over closer to him, bringing the chocolate with her. Snuggling in closer to him, she picked a piece and held it to his lips. Opening to accept the confection, he picked one up and did the same to her. Soon they were matching each other, piece for peace in a happy and languid state. And that is how they spent the night, holding each other in their arms and contently listening to the constant drum of the rain on the roof and the beat of their two hearts in unison.*

*I'm done! I know it was depressing, sorry! But I thought it made for an interesting story…. Thanks to all who inspired me, reviewed, and helped in general!

``*``RATE ME ON A 1-10 SCALE: 1 = BEST, 10 = WORST

TOO DARK? NOT DARK ENOUGH? NOT ENOUGH LIME? TOO MUCH? LET ME KNOW! Rix13rix@aol.com! ``*``


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